Pet crematory director expected to plead guilty to fraud charges

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 17 Oct, 04:02 · Archive

Patrick Vereb, accused of throwing pet remains into landfills instead of cremating them, is expected to plead guilty on 22 October.

Patrick Vereb, aged 72, operated a funeral home and pet crematory in Harrison and Hazelwood, Pennsylvania. He was charged in April 2025 with multiple felony counts after the state Attorney General's Office alleged he defrauded more than 6,500 pet owners between 2021 and 2024, receiving approximately $660,000 for cremations that never occurred or were improperly handled.

Vereb is accused of throwing animal remains into landfills instead of providing proper cremation services. He is also alleged to have routinely given pet owners ashes from animals that were not theirs. He was originally scheduled for a jury trial on Monday but has indicated he will plead guilty to all charges.

Vereb is expected to appear before Judge Jaime Hickton in Allegheny County Court on 22 October. Details of any plea agreement have not been disclosed. A representative for his attorney, Louis Emmi, declined to comment on the pending case.

How it is being reported

• Pa. funeral home director accused of dumping pets instead of cremating them will plead guiltyPatrick Vereb allegedly dumped most animals entrusted to him into a landfill and gave those owners portions of ashes from those he did cremate.PennLive · 17 Oct, 03:41
• Patrick Vereb, accused of pet cremation fraud, expected to plead guiltyWhatever amount of punishment former pet crematory director Patrick Vereb gets won’t be enough for Harrison resident Pam Yaconis.TribLIVE · 15 Oct, 17:01

In this story: Patrick Vereb · Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office · Harrison · Hazelwood · Allegheny County Court

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