Return to Nature co-owner Jon Hallford is appealing his 20-year federal prison sentence handed down last month by a Denver judge, court records show.

Jon and Carie Hallford face both state and federal charges related to their funeral home business, which came under a multi-agency investigation in October 2023 after nearly 190 decomposing bodies were found in the Return to Nature Funeral Home in Penrose.

The pair accepted a plea agreement in October 2024 that had them plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, with the remaining 14 federal counts to be dismissed. The plea agreement came with a 15-year maximum sentence, but an addendum was added in March that stipulated the sentence could now reach up to 20 years.

Return to Nature co-owner Jon Hallford receives maximum sentence in federal wire fraud case

Carie Hallford initially withdrew her plea after the March hearing, opting to proceed to trial. However, after her co-defendant was sentenced, her defense counsel requested a change of plea hearing, set for Aug. 5.

Judge Nina Wang handed down the 20-year sentence for Jon Hallford after several hours of emotional victim impact statements. Moments before the June 27 hearing wrapped up, Hallford’s defense counsel objected to the sentence. The defense had argued for a sentence of 120 months, or 10 years, saying he feels remorse for what he did.

A motion filed on July 3 indicated that Jon Hallford’s defense has formally entered an appeal to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding the sentence. According to officials with the Tenth Circuit Court, the appeal case was opened on July 7. It remains unclear how long it will take for a decision to be made, with officials saying some appeals take years to finalize.

Return to Nature co-owner expected to change her federal plea

Both funeral home owners have already pleaded guilty to state charges. Jon Hallford is expected to be sentenced on charges of abuse of a corpse in late August. As of Wednesday, no sentencing date has been set for Carie Hallford on the state level.