Stefan Family, Previously Doing Business As Lifestone By Stefan, Taken Back To Court
HARRISBURG—Attorney General Josh Shapiro today announced that the Office of Attorney General has filed a complaint against defendants, 1843, LLC, Gregory J. Stefan, Sr., Gregory J. Stefan, Jr. and Gerard Stefan, doing business as Lifestone by Stefan, among other names, for violating Pennsylvania consumer protection laws. Stefan Sr. was previously sued by the Office for acting as sole operator of these businesses, but this new lawsuit also names his sons as conspirators and operators.
“My office had previously taken Gregory Stefan Sr. to court, making sure he could not mislead Pennsylvanian consumers again. However, 1843, LLC, Stefan Sr., and his two sons continued to engage in conduct which violated Pennsylvania’s Consumer Protection Law.” said Attorney General Shapiro. “This lawsuit asks the court to shut them down for good. I’m urging anyone who has been scammed by 1843, LLC, or any of its aliases to file a complaint with my office.”
Lifestone By Stefan, LLC, Stefan Memorials, Inc. and Gregory Stefan, Sr., who operated a headstone and memorial business, was originally sued by the Office of Attorney General in 2015 for charging consumers for headstones that were delivered late or never delivered, and for not paying full refunds to consumers who requested those refunds.
In January, the Office of Attorney General filed a contempt petition against Lifestone, Stefan Memorials and Stefan, Sr., which resulted in a judgment for more than $300,000 in restitution, civil penalties and costs, and an injunction against Stefan, Sr., that prevented him from owning, managing, or having any significant involvement in any business that provides or engraves headstones for consumers.
Prior to the injunction in January, Stefan and his sons established a new business under the name 1843, LLC. The complaint alleges that the new business engaged in similar illegal business practices. The new lawsuit also asserts that the defendants charged consumers for headstones that were never delivered or were delivered late, denied consumers full refunds when requested, and solicited consumers in misleading and dishonest ways.
The complaint also asserts that the defendants were known to call Pennsylvanians who had recently lost loved ones and claimed that they were the preferred vendor for or are affiliated with a cemetery, when that was not the case. Consumers should beware of claims by companies that they are recommended by a cemetery or funeral home.
Pennsylvanians should stay on alert for other business aliases used by the Defendants, including: Colonial Memorials, Stefan Memorial Group, The Memorial Company, Gallagher Memorials, Alessi Memorials, 1843 Memorials/Cartledge, and 1843 New Britain/Quakertown Memorials. Any Pennsylvanians who have been affected by these companies should contact the Office of Attorney General at www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint.
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