A heartless funeral-home director allegedly bilked customers out of more than $650,000 in pet-cremation services — giving them the ashes of random, unknown animals instead of their beloved critters’ remains.
Prosecutors said Monday that Jacob Vereb, 70, of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial in Pittsburgh has been charged with improperly disposing of “thousands of dogs and cats,” for which their owners had entrusted him to provide cremations and the return of their ashes.
“Vereb took money in exchange for private cremation services, then disposed of many of the pets at a landfill and provided customers with ashes of other, unknown animals,” officials said, according to ABC News.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said Vereb pocketed more than $650,000 between 2021 and 2024 in the twisted scheme operated out of his funeral home, which also provides services for human bodies.
An investigation into the business found there had been than 6,500 pet-owning victims across Pennsylvania, from Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington and Westmoreland counties, the outlet said.
”This case is disturbing and will cause devastation and heartache for many Pennsylvanians,” the AG said.
“Our pets are members of our families, and this defendant betrayed and agonized pet owners who entrusted him to provide dignified services for their beloved cats and dogs. I commend our investigative team for a comprehensive review of voluminous records which uncovered this long-running pattern of theft and deception.”
The attorney general’s office has launched a website for victims where they can enter their contact information to receive updates on the case, as well as share impact statements.
“Nearly a dozen veterinary practices and businesses worked with the Office of Attorney General to confirm that Vereb collected at least $657,517 in fees from pet owners who were promised a private cremation for their pet, but did not receive the actual ashes of their pet,” the AG’s 0ffice said.
“Eternity Pet Memorial received the pets directly from consumers or through area veterinarians.”
Veleb surrendered Monday and was slapped with felony counts of receiving stolen property, theft by deception and deceptive business practices. He was arraigned and released on his own recognizance, the outlet reported.
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