PITTSBURGH — There are new revelations in the state investigation into a Pittsburgh funeral home owner.
We learned the investigation into Patrick Vereb, 70, owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial, stemmed from a previous intern reporting suspicions to police.
Vereb is now facing felony charges and is accused of deceiving more than 6,500 pet owners who paid for burial services, but instead received ashes from other animals.
>>> Pittsburgh funeral home owner accused of dumping pets in landfill instead of cremating them
The intern told Channel 11 she worked for the funeral home last spring and summer and ultimately quit when she couldn’t handle what she saw. She reported what she believed to be crimes to the City of Pittsburgh and Harrison Township police before, months later, the Attorney General’s Office stepped in.
“For me to be talking to someone and telling them we are taking care of your pet, it’s truly devastating to know that that wasn’t happening and those people trusted us, and I couldn’t say sorry enough,” former employee Kara Knight said.
Tiffany Mantzouris is the one who knew something wasn’t right, and filed multiple police reports that led to this state investigation.
“I went home a couple times thinking there is no way this is happening, there is no way I have to be making this up, maybe I’m crazy,” she said.
But records and what Mantzouris witnessed led to these charges.
She said Vereb would only send dogs 55 pounds and over to be cremated because he paid per pet. She believes those ashes were divided and given to other owners. As for what happened to the smaller animals, she believes they were dumped.
“There were freezers full of animals getting common buried, which are the ones that were supposed to be in a mass burial at a cemetery, which is a peaceful thing for pet owners. They may not be able to visit them, but their pets are at peace with other people’s pets... and they were getting dumped,” Mantzouris said.
The Attorney General’s Office investigation spanned from 2021 to 2024. Yet some people were still dropping their pets off this weekend for services.
“There’s no way it’s only 6,500, it had to be way more that than, and that’s just what could be proven,” Mantzouris said.
The AG’s office launched a website for victims to provide their contact information, share victim impact statements and receive updates on the criminal case. It can also help concerned citizens to determine if they are also victims in this case.
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