June 24, 2026
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Gregory Stefan Jr., of Upper Merion, pleaded guilty to defrauding nearly 500 people of $1.5 million. He allegedly failed to complete orders for custom gravestones on time, if at all.
A Montgomery County man pleaded guilty to defrauding hundreds of people through his custom headstone businesses.
Gregory J. Stefan Jr., 56, of Upper Merion, claimed to provide custom gravestones and engraving services for customers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware, federal prosecutors said. He required downpayments that often totaled thousands of dollars, but he allegedly failed to fulfill orders on time, if at all.
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Customers who inquired about the statuses of their orders either were ignored or faced "lulling tactics," during which Stefan assured their orders would be delivered without taking the necessary steps to complete them, prosecutors said.
Stefan allegedly failed to complete orders — or issue refunds — for nearly 500 customers who collectively paid more than $1.5 million to his businesses, 1843 LLC and Colonial Memorials, between January 2018 and September 2023. He also falsely reported earning no income on his federal income tax forms between 2018 and 2021, prosecutors said.
He pleaded guilty Tuesday to seven counts of wire fraud and four counts of filing a false tax return. Under his plea agreement, he also accepted responsibility for 10 local cases in the tri-state area that amounted to another $210,000 in losses for his customers, prosecutors said.
Stefan faces a maximum prison sentence of 152 years. His sentencing date has not been determined.
The plea is the latest development in a string of legal issues for Stefan and his family.
Stefan's father, Gregory J. Stefan Sr., was sued by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office in 2015 after over 50 complaints were sent to the Bureau of Consumer Protection about his companies — Lifestone by Stefan and Stefan Memorials — allegedly failing to deliver timely cemetery markers. The lawsuit resulted in a settlement and a court order.
In 2021, the AG's Office filed a petition attempting to ban Stefan Sr., Stefan Jr. and Gerard Stefan — the owners of 1843 LLC — from selling cemetery markers in Pennsylvania. The case ended in a settlement in 2023.
