Nearly 500 grieving customers defrauded by headstone salesman facing multiple charges
PHILADELPHIA - A 54-year-old Upper Merion man is facing seven counts of wire fraud after officials say he defrauded hundreds of grieving customers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
On Tuesday, United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Gregory J. Stefan, Jr., 54, of Upper Merion was arrested and charged by indictment with seven counts of wire fraud due to fraudulent business practices he employed in the operation and management of headstone sales companies.
According to the indictment, between January 2018 and September 2023, Stefan defrauded hundreds of grieving customers by entering into contracts to provide custom headstone and engraving services for their deceased loved ones that he knew he would not deliver on the promised timeline, if at all for that matter.
Officials say he used his businesses 1843 LLC and Colonial Memorials to commit the fraudulent crimes.
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Upon investigation, it was revealed that Stefan would demand large up-front payments from his customers, often 100 percent of the purchase price, but would then routinely fail to fulfill their orders by the projected delivery date.
Then, when the grieving customers would reach out to him to request updates on the status of their overdue orders, they say Stefan either ignored them or gave "lulling tactics" and assured them that their orders would be delivered shortly without taking any steps to follow through.
According to the indictment, Stefan failed to deliver, or provide refunds for, orders placed by almost 500 customers who had paid Stefan in excess of $1.5 million.
Stefan made an appearance in federal court on these charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jose R. Arteaga Tuesday afternoon.
If convicted, he faces a maximum possible sentence of 140 years in prison.