A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for Jeffrey Phares, a North Central West Virginia cemetery owner who pleaded guilty to defrauding hundreds of customers, according to a July 27 announcement by U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Phares, 65, of Fayetteville, West Virginia, will be sentenced on November 10 at 10:30 a.m. in federal court in Wheeling before U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey. In March, Phares admitted to wire fraud charges after misleading victims who ordered grave markers from him. He accepted payments and sent design approvals but used the funds for personal expenses instead of fulfilling the orders.
Phares owned and operated four cemeteries: Greenlawn Memorial Park in New Martinsville, Elkins Memorial Gardens in Elkins, Greenlawn Memorial Cemetery in Clarksburg, and Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in Jane Lew. Court documents indicate there are approximately 225 victims with more than $600,000 worth of unfulfilled grave marker orders.
As part of his plea agreement, Phares has agreed to pay restitution to his victims and provide all necessary documentation so the government can determine the amount owed prior to sentencing. Authorities said that if victims have already submitted their contracts with Phares to relevant agencies—including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, U.S. Probation Office or West Virginia Attorney General’s Office—their information is being reviewed as part of the restitution process.
Phares faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted on all counts; his final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.