A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for November 10, 2026, for Jeffrey Phares, 65, of Fayetteville, West Virginia, following his guilty plea to federal wire fraud charges. U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced the date, with the proceeding set to take place in federal court in Wheeling before U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey.
Phares, who owned and operated four cemeteries across North Central West Virginia—Greenlawn Memorial Park in New Martinsville, Elkins Memorial Gardens in Elkins, Greenlawn Memorial Cemetery in Clarksburg, and Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens in Jane Lew—pleaded guilty in March.
Court filings state that Phares accepted money from customers for grave markers, provided design approvals, and then diverted the funds for personal use rather than completing the orders.
Court documents indicate approximately 225 victims were affected, leaving more than $600,000 in grave marker orders unfulfilled.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Phares agreed to pay restitution to the victims and supply documentation required to establish the final restitution amount prior to his sentencing date.
Federal officials noted that individuals who have submitted contracts to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, U.S. Probation, or the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office have had their materials received for review as part of the restitution process.
Phares faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge, taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other applicable statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas is handling the prosecution. The case was investigated by the FBI, the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wetzel County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
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