A Pennsylvania man is facing nearly 500 counts for not letting the dead rest in peace.
Jonathan Gerlach, 34, was arrested at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon on Jan. 6, authorities revealed in a statement, which outlined the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office many allegations.
Detectives said they witnessed the Ephrata resident exiting the cemetery “holding a burlap bag, crow bar and other assorted items.”
Investigators were conducting surveillance on site, following up on a string of burglarized graves and mausoleums dating back to Nov. 2025.
Authorities first spotted the backseat of Gerlach’s car, where they allegedly had a clear view of piled up bones and skulls.
While Gerlach allegedly admitted to stealing approximately 30 sets of human remains, police claimed the extent of his crimes goes much deeper.
After a search warrant was issued for Gerlach’s home, prosecutors said multiple law enforcement agencies investigated his residence and storage unit.
Authorities allege they uncovered more than 100 full or partial sets of human and skeletal remains across the properties.
“Detectives walked into a horror movie come to life in that home. It is truly, in the most literal sense of the word, horrific,” District Attorney Tanner Rouse said in a Jan. 8 press conference, per the statement. “I grieve for those who are upset by this. Who are going through this. Who are trying to figure out if it is, in fact, one of their loved ones.”
In the aftermath, Gerlach now faces the following charges:
Burglary – Not Adapted for Overnight Accommodation, No Person Present (F1) – 26 counts
Criminal Trespass – Enter Structure (F3) – 26 counts
Criminal Trespass – Enter Structure (F2) – 26 counts
Abuse of Corpse (M2) – 100 counts
Theft By Unlawful Taking (F3) – 100 counts
Receiving Stolen Property (F3) – 100 counts
Intentional Desecration of Public Monument (M2) – 26 counts
Intentional Desecration of Venerated Object (M2) – 26 counts
Intentional Desecration of Historic Lots and Burial Places (M1) – 26 counts
Criminal Mischief – Damage Property (M3) – 26 counts
Defiant Trespasser (S) – 7 counts
Gerlach has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 20. His bond was set at $1 million cash, and he’s currently remanded to George W. Hill Correctional Facility.
