Funeral home accused of giving pet owners fake ashes

A Pittsburgh funeral home is facing charges over allegedly giving pet owners fake ashes, while throwing the animals’ remains in a landfill.

Patrick Vereb, the owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial in Pittsburgh, is accused of stealing over $650,000 from customers who paid for dog and cat burial and cremation services between 2021 and 2024.

Prosecutors allege that Vereb dumped the remains of thousands of pets in a landfill and returned unknown ashes to their owners.

Vereb has been charged with felony counts of theft by deception, receiving stolen property, and deceptive business practices.

The attorney general’s office has identified thousands of victims in Western Pennsylvania and has launched a website for victims to share their impact statements and receive updates on the case.

”This case is disturbing, and will cause devastation and heartache for many Pennsylvanians,” Attorney General Sunday 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.”

Vereb is scheduled to appear in court on May 9.