HARRISBURG, Pa. (EYT) — Attorney General Dave Sunday announced charges against Patrick Vereb regarding the Pennsylvania funeral home owner’s theft of more than $650,000 from customers who paid for pet burial and cremation services between 2021 and 2024.
Vereb, owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial in Pittsburgh, is charged with improper disposal of thousands of dogs and cats for which owners paid for cremations, burials, returns of ashes, and other services.
According to the Office of Attorney General investigation, 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.
The Office of Attorney General charged Vereb on Monday with felony counts of theft by deception, receiving stolen property, and deceptive business practices. Vereb, 70, surrendered Monday afternoon and was arraigned on the charges. He was released on his own recognizance.
An extensive investigation by the Office of Attorney General has identified more than 6,500 victims from Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.
”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.”
WATCH a message from Attorney General Sunday about the investigation.
Considering thousands of consumers have been harmed, the Office of Attorney General has launched a website to engage with victims.
The webpage can be found at www.attorneygeneral.gov/epm. A link is also affixed to the Attorney General’s homepage. Victims can provide their contact information, share victim impact statements, and receive updates on the criminal case. The website will also help concerned citizens to determine if they are victims in this case.
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.
Eternity Pet Memorial received the pets directly from consumers or through area veterinarians.
The case will be prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Kara Rice and Deputy Attorney General Aaron McKendry.
