PITTSBURGH — A former funeral home director accused of mishandling pet remains will not face a jury trial, and one of his former employees says his victims deserve better.
Patrick Vereb, 70, told the court on Thursday that he planned to plead guilty to charges filed in April 2024 for the improper disposal of thousands of dogs and cats for which owners paid for cremations, burials, returns of ashes and other services between 2021 and 2024.
Investigators said Vereb was actually taking those remains to a landfill.
Tiffany Mantzouridis told Channel 11 via Zoom that she has seen firsthand the pain Vereb allegedly caused his victims. She worked for him and reported concerns that he was deceiving his grieving customers. Her information sparked the state Attorney General investigation.
“Nothing that could happen to him is going to bring back or make amends for any of the people he has hurt,” Mantzouridis said.
A spokesperson for the AG’s office says this is not considered a plea deal at this point because they have not agreed upon a sentence.
“I don’t think there’s a sentence that could be harsh enough,” Mantzouridis said. “No sentence nor outcome is going to bring people’s pets back or get rid of the mental trauma and distress people have gone through as victims. I’m never going to unsee the things I saw there or get that part of my life back.”
Investigators say there are at least 6,500 victims.
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