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A man from Pennsylvania is now facing an astonishing array of nearly 500 charges for disturbing the peace of the deceased.
Authorities disclosed that 34-year-old Jonathan Gerlach was apprehended at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Yeadon on January 6. In a detailed statement from the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, a multitude of accusations against him were laid out.
According to detectives, Gerlach, a resident of Ephrata, was observed leaving the cemetery carrying a burlap sack, a crowbar, and various other items.
The investigation involved surveillance operations at the cemetery, prompted by a series of grave and mausoleum break-ins that began in November 2025.
Law enforcement officials reported spotting human bones and skulls piled up in the backseat of Gerlach’s vehicle.
Although Gerlach purportedly confessed to taking around 30 sets of human remains, authorities believe the true scope of his activities is much broader.
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.
