PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Montgomery County gravestone salesman accused of stealing from grieving families is now facing federal charges.
Federal prosecutors are charging 54-year-old Gregory Stefan, Jr. of Upper Merion with seven federal counts of wire fraud after they say he sold headstones to hundreds of families in Pennsylvania and New Jersey from 2018-2023 who were trying to lay their loved ones to rest and did not deliver.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Jacqueline Romero says Stefan was contracted through his businesses, 1843 Memorials and Colonial Memorials, to provide and engrave headstones even though he knew he could not fulfill the agreements.
KYW wanted to get Stefan’s side of things, so we called 1843 Memorials, which has one address in East Mount Airy and another in Upper Darby.
The phone call opened with a voice saying, “Thank you for calling, this is Jessica on a recorded line… can you hear me okay?”
We could, but why did Jessica act like she heard a response when we said nothing?
“...Great. So, uh, with our promotion today you actually have the opportunity to receive a free medical alert device,” the message proceeded.
We received one vague recorded message after another… all unrelated to burial needs.
In one, a voice asks callers to press “1” if older than age 50. Another voice says they can connect them with someone who can check on their Medicare information.
“Press ‘1’ now to speak with a licensed insurance agent who can check your eligibility for enrollment.”
The business's internet footprint makes it look anything but legitimate.
It has one star on Yelp, with reviewers complaining about paying for gravestones they never received.
And there is only one 5-star review left by someone who reviewed no other businesses.
For your safety, don’t visit 1843memorials.com, or you might be faced with messages like these:
“Your computer has been locked up. Your IP address was used without your knowledge or consent to visit websites that contain identity theft viruses. To unlock your computer, please call support immediately.”
If convicted, Stefan could face up to 140 years in prison.
KYW Newsradio called Stefan’s attorney to ask for comment about the charges and whether or not Stefan is aware of the apparent phone and internet scams linked to his business but our calls were not returned.