HARRISBURG, PA — The owner of a western Pennsylvania pet cremation business pleaded guilty this week to stealing more than $650,000 from customers who paid for burial and cremation services, resolving a criminal case involving more than 6,500 victims across four counties.
Patrick Vereb Sr., 72, owner of Eternity Pet Memorial, pleaded guilty to all charges stemming from conduct between 2021 and 2024, according to Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday. Sentencing on the lead felony charge of first-degree theft by deception is scheduled for Jan. 21 in Allegheny County.
Vereb’s bail was revoked Thursday, and he was committed to prison pending sentencing.
The guilty plea follows an investigation that found Vereb accepted payments for private pet cremations but disposed of many of the animals at a landfill. Customers who expected to receive their pets’ remains were instead given ashes belonging to other, unidentified animals, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Investigators identified more than 6,500 victims in Allegheny, Armstrong, Washington and Westmoreland counties.
Nearly a dozen veterinary practices and businesses assisted investigators in establishing that Vereb collected more than $650,000 from pet owners who paid for private cremations but did not receive their animals’ actual remains.
Eternity Pet Memorial obtained animals directly from customers and through veterinary practices in the region.
The investigation also documented failures to provide other services customers had purchased, including pet burials and the return of cremated remains.
Vereb was charged in 2025 following an investigation into the company’s handling of animals entrusted to its care.
“As a pet owner, I know that losing a pet is like losing a family member, and the defendant’s conduct, without a doubt, worsened that pain for these victims,” Sunday said.
“No sentence can alleviate the grief and heartache that has been caused here, but our hope is this felony conviction provides a measure of closure as it involves the defendant taking responsibility and admitting to what he did.”
The Attorney General’s Office established a dedicated webpage after filing charges to identify additional victims and gather information from customers affected by the business’s practices.
Many victims subsequently submitted impact statements describing the consequences of Vereb’s conduct. Those statements will be presented to the court for consideration during sentencing.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorneys General Kara Rice and Aaron McKendry.
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