Fred Harris, a former U.S. senator from Oklahoma, presidential hopeful and populist who championed Democratic Party reforms in the turbulent 1960s, died Saturday. He was 94.

Harris’ wife, Margaret Elliston, confirmed his death to The Associated Press. It was not immediately clear where he died, but he had lived in New Mexico since 1976 and was a resident of Corrales at the time of his death.

“Fred Harris passed peacefully early this morning of natural causes. He was 94. He was a wonderful and beloved man. His memory is a blessing,” Elliston said in a text message.

Harris served eight years in the Senate, first winning in 1964 to fill a vacancy, and made unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 1976.

It fell to Harris, as chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 1969 and 1970, to help heal the party’s wounds from the tumultuous national convention in 1968 when protesters and police clashed in Chicago.

He ushered in rule changes that led to more women and minorities as convention delegates and in leadership positions.

“I think it’s worked wonderfully,” Harris recalled in 2004, when he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Boston. “It’s made the selection much more legitimate and democratic.”

“The Democratic Party was not democratic, and many of the delegations were pretty much boss-controlled or -dominated. And in the South, there was terrible discrimination against African Americans,” he said.

Harris ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1976, quitting after poor showings in early contests, including a fourth-place win in New Hampshire. The more moderate Jimmy Carter went on to win the presidency.

Harris moved to New Mexico that year and became a political science professor at the University of New Mexico. He wrote and edited more than a dozen books, mostly on politics and Congress. In 1999 he broadened his writings with a mystery set in Depression-era Oklahoma.

Throughout his political career, Harris was a leading liberal voice for civil rights and anti-poverty programs to help minorities and the disadvantaged.

“Democrats everywhere will remember Fred for his unparalleled integrity and as a pioneer for instituting core progressive values of equity and opportunity for prosperity as core tenets of our party,” the Democratic Party of New Mexico said in a statement.

Along with his first wife, LaDonna, a Comanche, he also was active in Native American issues.

“I’ve always called myself a populist or progressive,” Harris said in a 1998 interview. “I’m against concentrated power. I don’t like the power of money in politics. I think we ought to have programs for the middle class and working class.”

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham praised his work for their shared state and the nation.

“In addition to being a highly accomplished politician and professor, he was a decent, honorable man who treated everyone with warmth, generosity, and good humor,” she said in a statement. “Sen. Harris was a lesson in leadership that public officials would be wise to emulate now and forever.”

Harris was a member of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, the so-called Kerner Commission, appointed by then-President Lyndon Johnson to investigate the urban riots of the late 1960s.

The commission’s groundbreaking report in 1968 declared, “our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white — separate and unequal.”

Thirty years later, Harris co-wrote a report that concluded the commission’s “prophecy has come to pass.”

“The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer and minorities are suffering disproportionately,” said the report by Harris and Lynn A. Curtis, president of the Milton S. Eisenhower Foundation, which continued the work of the commission.

Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute said Harris rose to prominence in Congress as a “fiery populist.”

“That resonates with people … the notion of the average person against the elite,” Ornstein said. “Fred Harris had a real ability to articulate those concerns, particularly of the downtrodden.”

In 1968, Harris served as co-chairman of the presidential campaign of then-Vice President Hubert Humphrey. He and others pressed Humphrey to use the convention to break with Johnson on the Vietnam War. But Humphrey waited to do so until late in the campaign, and narrowly lost to Republican Richard Nixon.

“That was the worst year of my life, ’68. We had Dr. Martin Luther King killed. We had my Senate seatmate Robert Kennedy killed and then we had this terrible convention,” Harris said in 1996.

“I left the convention — because of the terrible disorders and the way they had been handled and the failure to adopt a new peace platform — really downhearted.”

After assuming the Democratic Party leadership post, Harris appointed commissions that recommended reforms in the procedures for selecting delegates and presidential nominees. While lauding the greater openness and diversity, he said there had been a side effect: “It’s much to the good. But the one result of it is that conventions today are ratifying conventions. So it’s hard to make them interesting.”

“My own thought is they ought to be shortened to a couple of days. But they are still worth having, I think, as a way to adopt a platform, as a kind of pep rally, as a way to get people together in a kind of coalition-building,” he said.

Harris was born Nov. 13, 1930, in a two-room farmhouse near Walters, in southwestern Oklahoma, about 15 miles from the Texas line. The home had no electricity, indoor toilet or running water.

At age 5 he was working on the farm and received 10 cents a day to drive a horse in circles to supply power for a hay bailer.

He worked part-time as a janitor and printer’s assistant to help for his education at University of Oklahoma. He earned a bachelor’s degree in 1952, majoring in political science and history. He received a law degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1954, and then moved to Lawton to practice.

In 1956, he won election to the Oklahoma state Senate and served for eight years. In 1964, he launched his career in national politics in the race to replace Sen. Robert S. Kerr, who died in January 1963.

Harris won the Democratic nomination in a runoff election against J. Howard Edmondson, who left the governorship to fill Kerr’s vacancy until the next election. In the general election, Harris defeated an Oklahoma sports legend — Charles “Bud” Wilkinson, who had coached OU football for 17 years.

Harris won a six-year term in 1966 but left the Senate in 1972 when there were doubts that he, as a left-leaning Democrat, could win reelection.

Harris married his high school sweetheart, LaDonna Vita Crawford, in 1949, and had three children, Kathryn, Byron and Laura. After the couple divorced, Harris married Margaret Elliston in 1983. A complete list of survivors was not immediately available Saturday.

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken is leaving Saturday on a diplomatic trip to Europe that includes a meeting of foreign ministers from the leading industrialized nations that will focus on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

The State Department said Blinken will participate in Group of Seven and bilateral meetings outside Rome on Monday and Tuesday as the Biden administration winds down amid concerns that President-elect Donald Trump’s team may substantially alter U.S. foreign policy.

The G7 — Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States — has been at the forefront of providing military and economic support for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, and Democratic President Joe Biden is looking to ensure that backing is boosted and sustained. G7 members are particularly concerned about how Trump will change the U.S. approach.

Trump has criticized the billions of dollars that the Biden administration has poured into Ukraine. Washington has recently stepped up weapons shipments ad has forgiven billions in loans provided to Kyiv. The incoming Republican president has said he could end the war in 24 hours, comments that appear to suggest he would press Ukraine to surrender territory that Russia now occupies.

On the Middle East, Trump has announced a number of officials who are staunchly pro-Israel. He is expected to pursue a policy that strongly favors Israel over the aspirations of the Palestinians and others for a two-state resolution to the long-running conflict that has been focused on Gaza for the past 13 months since Hamas launched attacks inside Israel.

Several Arab foreign ministers are expected to join the G7 in Italy for urgent discussions on ending the war in Gaza and setting up a mechanism for governance, reconstruction and security for the heavily damaged territory once the fighting is over.

U.S. officials are rushing to complete the formation of that structure before Biden leaves office in January, but there have been numerous complications. Efforts were most recently jolted by the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and top Hamas officials.

Israel’s military operations in Lebanon against Iran-backed Hezbollah will also feature in the G7 discussions. US officials say they are hopeful that a recent flurry of diplomatic activity may yield a cease-fire agreement. .

G7 relations with China will figure in Blinken’s discussions. There are increasing concerns about Beijing’s aggressiveness toward Taiwan and in the South China Sea, as well as trade disputes that Trump has threatened to address by imposing massive tariffs on Chinese products.

Blinken will meet with Pope Francis and several of his top aides in Vatican City on Wednesday before returning to Washington.

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for labor secretary is one of the few Republican lawmakers to sign on to the Protecting the Right to Organize Act — otherwise known as the PRO Act — legislation that would make it easier for workers to unionize, and her nomination is being applauded by some key labor unions.

Trump announced Friday his plans to nominate Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer to head the Labor Department, a post that requires Senate confirmation.

“Lori’s strong support from both the Business and Labor communities will ensure that the Labor Department can unite Americans of all backgrounds behind our Agenda for unprecedented National Success – Making America Richer, Wealthier, Stronger and more Prosperous than ever before!” Trump said in a statement.

Chavez-DeRemer is the first Republican woman and one of the first two Latinas to serve in Congress from the state of Oregon. The former Happy Valley mayor and businesswoman lost her bid to regain Oregon’s 5th District earlier this month.

The freshman congresswoman serves on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, which started as the committee on education and labor over 150 years ago. If calls to dismantle the federal Department of Education are successful during the second Trump administration, Chavez-DeRemer could potentially oversee education programs that are redistributed to the labor department.

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) has introduced legislation with a multi-year roadmap to eliminate the Department of Education and earmarked the department’s responsibilities for the Departments of Interior, Treasury, Health and Human Services, State, and Labor according to the bill text.

Chairwoman Virginia Foxx released the following statement congratulating her colleague on the congressional committee.

“I look forward to seeing a Department of Labor that embraces free enterprise policies so workers and job creators can flourish. It’s time the heavy hand of the federal government got out of the way. Instead of punitive, overzealous, job-killing regulations it’s time to unleash America’s ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit.”

The selection of Chavez-DeRemer is also being applauded by some key labor unions.

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation’s largest professional employee organization, applauded the nomination.

“During her time in Congress, Lori Chavez-DeRemer voted against gutting the Department of Education, against school vouchers, and against cuts to education funding. She cosponsored the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, the PRO Act, and other pro-student, pro-public school, pro-worker legislation,” NEA President Becky Pringle said in a statement.

The PRO Act would expand labor protections regarding workers’ rights to form unions in the workplace. Chavez-DeRemer, who signed on to co-sponsor the bill this summer, is one of just three Republicans in the House to do so.

“This record stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump’s anti-worker, anti-union record, and his extreme Project 2025 agenda that would gut workplace protections, make it harder for workers to unionize, and diminish the voice of working people,” Pringle added.

She added, “Educators and working families across the nation will be watching Lori Chavez-DeRemer as she moves through the confirmation process and hope to hear a pledge from her to continue to stand up for workers and students as her record suggests, not blind loyalty to the Project 2025 agenda.”

Sean O’Brien, president of the Teamsters union, who spoke at the Republican National Convention in July, had reportedly been pushing for Trump to nominate Chavez-DeRemer to the post.

After the nomination was announced, O’Brien posted a congratulatory message on the social media platform, X.

An infant has died in a listeria outbreak linked to a brand of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, federal authorities said Friday.

As of Friday, 11 people have been infected in four states in the outbreak, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among them, nine people have been hospitalized and an infant from California has died, the CDC said.

The infections have been linked to recalled ready-to-eat meat and poultry products by Yu Shang Food, based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, according to the CDC. The recalled products include pork hock, chicken feet, pork feet, duck neck, beef shank and pork tongue.

ABC News has reached out to Yu Shang Food for comment.

Most of the cases — seven — were in California, while two were in Illinois and one each in New York and New Jersey, according to the CDC. Those infected ranged in age from under 1 to 86, with a median age of 64, according to the CDC.

The infant who died and his pregnant mother were both infected in the outbreak, according to the CDC. The infant had a twin who also died, though listeria was not found in the other twin’s sample and the case is not included in the outbreak, the CDC said.

One other listeria illness was reported in an infant who recovered, the CDC said.

“The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses,” the CDC said.

Yu Shang Food has recalled approximately 72,240 pounds of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products due to possible listeria contamination, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said on Thursday.

The recalled foods include products made before Oct. 28, the CDC said. The products subject to recall have the number “P-46684” or “EST. M46684” inside the USDA mark of inspection. They were shipped to retail locations nationwide and were sold online.

The full list of recalled items can be viewed here. Anyone with the products is advised to throw them away or return them to the place of purchase, and surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned. Listeria can survive in the refrigerator at cooler temperatures and easily contaminate other foods.

“FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers’ refrigerators/freezers,” the agency said.

The FSIS said the problem was discovered when a finished food product produced by Yu Shang Food tested positive for listeria on Oct. 21. Listeria was detected in additional testing of product and environmental samples collected by the FSIS, it said.

“Working in conjunction with public health partners, FSIS determined that there is a link between the [ready-to-eat] meat and poultry products from Yu Shang Food, Inc. and an illness cluster,” the FSIS said.

The company initially issued a recall on Nov. 9 that was expanded on Thursday.

People aged 65 and older, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems are more at risk of serious illness due to listeria, according to the CDC.

Symptoms usually start within two weeks of eating food contaminated with listeria and can include fever, muscle aches, headache, tiredness, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and seizures, according to the CDC.

The CDC advises contacting a health care provider right away if symptoms develop.

President-elect Donald Trump said he wants Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon and author who argued against pandemic lockdowns, to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“He will work under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to, among other things, properly evaluate harmful chemicals poisoning our Nation’s food supply and drugs and biologics being given to our Nation’s youth, so that we can finally address the Childhood Chronic Disease Epidemic,” Trump said in his announcement.

If confirmed by the Senate, Makary’s job would be to oversee the FDA’s $7 billion budget and report to the health secretary. The agency oversees $3.6 trillion in food, tobacco and medical products, including some 20,000 prescription drugs on the market.

Here are three things to know about Makary:

Makary is a respected transplant surgeon who questioned his colleagues’ recommendations on COVID

Makary was known during the pandemic as an experienced medical expert willing to challenge his colleagues’ assumptions on COVID, although he was often criticized by his peers for cherry-picking data or omitting context.

He frequently appeared on Fox News and wrote opinion articles that questioned the value of lockdowns and masks for children. He supported the use of vaccines but opposed mandates and doubted the utility of boosters, at odds with full-throated recommendations on boosters from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Among his views was that the U.S. government was underestimating the number of people who were likely immune to the virus. In early 2021, he predicted much of the country would reach “herd immunity” by that April, reducing risk of the virus dramatically.

That assumption, however, did not happen.

As restrictions eased and a new variant surfaced, virus-related deaths soared from about 4,000 a week to about 15,000 a week by September, making 2021 a deadlier year than when the pandemic began.

Makary stood by his assertion that “natural immunity” was still being underestimated by the U.S. government.

“One reason public health officials may be afraid to acknowledge the effectiveness of natural immunity is that they fear it will lead some to choose getting the infection over vaccination. That’s a legitimate concern. But we can encourage all Americans to get vaccinated while still being honest about the data,” he wrote a separate opinion article in The Washington Post.

He sounds a lot like RFK Jr. when talking about the ‘poisoned’ food supply, pesticides and ultra-processed foods.

After the pandemic, Makary began turning back to his initial focus railing against an overpriced health care system. He’s long argued that the system is broken, overcharging patients and running unnecessary tests.

He also began speaking more critically about America’s food system, echoing a message embraced by Trump’s pick for health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“We’ve got a poisoned food supply. We’ve got pesticides. We’ve got ultra-processed foods and all sorts of things that have been in the blind spots in modern medicine,” Makary told Fox News this September.

Kennedy also would require Senate confirmation to get the job.

In a later interview, Makary praised Trump’s decision to pick Kennedy.

“He wants to address corruption in health care and corruption in our government health agencies,” he said.

He warns against ‘drugging our nation’s children.’

It’s not clear exactly what Makary would do if confirmed as FDA commissioner, as much of his work would likely be steered by Trump and the incoming health secretary, possibly Kennedy.

But Makary has previously suggested an overhaul of FDA’s “erratic” bureaucracy, which he says was too eager to approve opioids and too cautious when it came to other drugs like the COVID antiviral pill Molnupiravir.

“For too long, FDA leaders have acted like a crusty librarian who gets annoyed when someone wants to borrow a book. But then give preference to people they like,” Makary wrote in a 2021 opinion article in Fox News.

More recently, he’s called for a ban on cell phones on schools, and praised Kennedy for questioning the use of anti-anxiety and anti-obesity drugs in children.

“What he is really focused on is this concept that we can’t keep drugging our nation’s children,” Makary said of Kennedy.

When asked if Kennedy can accomplish what he wants to do in four years, Makary told Fox News he’ll try by bringing in more scientists and letting “them do good work.”

Kennedy “is really the quintessential environmental health attorney of our era, and that may be the quintessential issue of our era,” Makary said.

Since being tapped as President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been criticized by medical and public health experts for his anti-vaccine history, his current vaccine skepticism, his take on the COVID-19 pandemic — and by some for his descriptions of fluorinated water. But some of the environmental attorney’s views are also receiving support from some unexpected sources.

On Wednesday, renowned food author Michael Pollan echoed those criticisms — but offered some praise for Kennedy’s criticism of the American food industry, which Kennedy has accused of propagating obesity and chronic disease.

“He’s voicing a critique of the food system that is important,” Pollan told ABC News, while making clear he was drawing a “strong distinction” between Kennedy’s food stances and his medical advice — and that he thinks Kennedy is a “horrible” choice for the job.

Pollan’s comments join a stance taken in recent days by some prominent Democrats who have praised Kennedy for his vows to “Make America Healthy Again,” in part by tackling the food industry — while condemning him for his years working against vaccine health policies.

The comments from Pollan to ABC News came after he shared a seemingly positive article on social media about Kennedy titled, “They’re lying about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.” — a move that prompted Kennedy himself to reply and suggest they work together.

“Thanks @michaelpollan!” Kennedy wrote Thursday on X. “I’d love to work with you to restore our public health agencies to their rich tradition of gold-standard, evidence-based science and Make America Healthy Again.”

Asked if he would take Kennedy up on the offer, Pollan was clear: “No.”

“I’ve got my role to play, and that’s not the role,” he told ABC News.

Kennedy has faced fierce criticism over his claims that vaccines are behind an “epidemic” of diseases in America, and that cavity-fighting mineral fluoride, added in small amounts to some drinking water, is “industrial waste.” Pollan said Kennedy’s stances on vaccines and fluoride “seem nutty” and that he was overall a “horrible” pick to lead HHS.

But Pollan — who has authored multiple books, including several on the effects of food on the human body — offered some praise for Kennedy for his views on ultra-processed food and the overuse of corn and soy.

“He’s injected these issues into the national conversation, and I think that’s a big deal,” Pollan said.

He also praised Kennedy for linking the epidemic of obesity and chronic disease to agricultural policies — a move he said is “really important.”

“I’m looking for glimmers in an otherwise bleak landscape,” Pollan said.

Pollan’s approval of Kennedy’s food stances follows similar praise from some Democrat officials.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said he was “excited by the news” that Kennedy had been appointed to lead HHS, writing on X that he was “most optimistic” about Kennedy “taking on big pharma and the corporate ag oligopoly to improve our health.”

He wrote in a subsequent post that “Science must remain THE cornerstone of our nation’s health policy” and said “the science-backed decision to get vaccinated improves public health and safety,” but noted that he is “for a major shake-up in institutions like the FDA that have been barriers to lowering drug costs and promoting healthy food choices.”

Earlier this week, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey posted a video on social media about how he has been “raising the alarm of the dangers of our current food system.”

“Food in America is making us sick,” Booker said in the video. Though he did not mention Kennedy by name, Kennedy reposted the video, thanking Booker for his “long history of leadership on this issue.”

Asked by ABC News, Booker said he had not yet made up his mind on Kennedy’s nomination, saying that Kennedy would need to go through the confirmation process and that Kennedy’s stances on vaccines were “very troubling.” He added he was “super skeptical of the Trump administration’s efforts in any way to say that they are going to be doing things to make us more healthy.”

Still, Booker added he was “happy to hear” Kennedy on some of the issues around health, saying, “There’s a growing coalition in America from both sides of the aisle really demanding change. I hope, if the Trump administration is willing to do something right and positive on these issues, I’ll be right there.”

“When it comes to RFK, we’re going to look at the totality of his record, we’re going to evaluate and make a decision, but my focus is trying to block Trump from doing more damage to Americans health, like he did last time,” Booker said.

Pollan, for his part, questioned just how much Trump would let Kennedy make true reforms to the food industry, should Kennedy be confirmed.

“I have my doubts about whether Trump is going to give him authority to do what he wants to do around food,” Pollan said of Kennedy, who over the weekend was in a viral photo eating McDonald’s with Trump and others on Trump’s plane. “Whether he’ll get anywhere, I have my doubts — but I am pleased to see these issues getting talked about.”

Following news Friday that former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz does not intend to return to Congress after he withdrew from consideration to be President-elect Donald Trump’s attorney general, it appears his seat will be vacant for months — presenting a challenge for House Republicans who already maintain a slim majority in the incoming Congress.

On Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis set the FL-01 special election primary for Jan. 28 and the general election for April 1. That means Gaetz’s seat will be unfilled for at least 12 weeks in the 119th Congress.

“At Gov. Ron DeSantis’ direction, this special election is being conducted as quickly as statutorily possible,” said Florida Secretary of State Cord Byrd on Friday. “We are committed to ensuring this election is held as soon as we are allowed to hold it by state law.”

Such a vacancy would cut into the narrow majority House Republicans are projected to have in the next Congress, which will only continue to shrink if GOP Reps. Elise Stefanik and Michael Waltz are confirmed to be in Trump’s Cabinet.

ABC News projects that Republicans have won 219 seats and Democrats 213 in the House. The numbers do not take into account any departures for jobs in the Trump administration or Gaetz’s resignation. There are also three outstanding House races that still haven’t been called, which will determine the ultimate size of the GOP’s majority.

The special election schedule is at the Florida governor’s discretion. For instance, the dates set by DeSantis in 2022 to fill the vacancy of the late Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings left the seat open for nine months, despite Democrats’ pushing for a speedier process.

At least half a dozen Florida Republicans have already expressed willingness to run for Gaetz’s seat. 538 rates Florida’s 1st Congressional District, which Gaetz represented for eight years, as “solid Republican.”

Gaetz on Friday sat for his first interview with conservative commentator Charlie Kirk since withdrawing as Trump’s attorney general pick. During the interview, the conservative firebrand announced then that he would not return to Congress, despite having won reelection in November by 32 points.

“I’m going to be fighting for President Trump. I’m going to be doing whatever he asks of me, as I always have,” Gaetz said. “But I think that eight years is probably enough time in the United States Congress.”

ABC News’ Jay O’Brien contributed to this report.

The married co-owners of a Colorado funeral home where nearly 200 decomposing bodies were found pleaded guilty Friday to corpse abuse.

Jon and Carie Hallford ran the Return to Nature Funeral Home, which had operations in the Colorado Springs area and in Penrose, Colorado.

The shocking discovery was made at the Penrose location in October 2023, after the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports from residents of a foul odor coming from the facility. Some of the bodies found had died as far back as 2019, officials said.

The two pleaded guilty to 191 counts of abuse of a corpse, 4th Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen, whose office prosecuted the case, said. The counts include two instances where the wrong bodies were buried.

The judge accepted their pleas during a hearing on Friday, though has not yet accepted the plea agreements and will reserve judgment for that until sentencing next year, Allen said.

Carie Hallford faces 15 to 20 years in prison, and Jon Hallford faces 20 years, the district attorney said.

Their sentencing has been scheduled for April 18, 2025.

“Obviously this case has been a huge, emotional struggle for all of the families that are present,” Allen said outside the El Paso County courthouse on Friday. “The impact on these family members has been immense.”

He acknowledged that the victims will “likely never recover” from the violation of trust but that his office was honored to “achieve justice for them.”

Following the discovery of the bodies, investigators uncovered a scheme in which the couple had been defrauding customers who believed their loved ones would be buried or cremated, according to court documents.

The couple previously admitted in a related federal case to accepting payment for the services but then never performing them — in some cases providing dry concrete mix in urns in place of cremains, according to court documents.

The couple admitted to collecting more than $130,000 from victims for cremation or burial services which they never performed over a more than four-year period, court documents show. They also admitted to conspiring to defraud the U.S. Small Business Administration of more than $800,000 in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, according to court documents.

Both pleaded guilty last month in the federal case to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They are scheduled to be sentenced in that case on March 20, 2025. They each face up to 20 years in federal prison, prosecutors said.

Allen said it is conceivable that the state prison sentence would run concurrent to the federal sentence.

Carie Hallford’s bond was revoked during Friday’s hearing and she was remanded into custody. Her attorney declined to comment to ABC News.

Jon Hallford was already in custody. He is represented by the public defender’s office, which does not comment on cases.

Daniel Penny arrives with his mother Gina Flaim Penny at the Manhattan Criminal Court for his trial for the death of Jordan Neely, man whose death has been ruled a homicide by the city’s medical examiner after being placed in a chokehold on a subway train, in New York City, November 19, 2024.

Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared again in a New York City courtroom on Friday as he continues to fight for his release on bail in his racketeering and sex trafficking case.

Combs’ lawyers argued he should be released on bail and placed on home confinement in a three-bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side under 24/7 monitoring by three full-time security professionals, while prosecutors said the hip-hop impresario “cannot be trusted” to follow the rules of pretrial release.

The judge did not immediately rule but said he would have a decision next week.

The defense said it was proposing conditions “far more restrictive” than Combs faces in jail, including limiting phone calls to lawyers, restricting visitors other than lawyers and specific family members, keeping a visitor log and avoiding contact with witnesses or potential witnesses.

“If what the government is afraid of is that Mr. Combs is going to be violent toward someone, there’s just zero chance of that happening,” defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said.

Combs blew kisses to his family and tapped his heart as he entered federal court Friday in a beige jail smock over a white long-sleeve T-shirt. He hugged his attorneys and, once seated, turned in his chair to smile at his mother and children, who were seated in the second row.

Prosecutors reminded the judge “this is a case about violence” and argued the conditions proposed in the defense bail package fell short.

“At bottom, in order for conditions to be sufficient there has to be some level of trust that the defendant will follow them,” prosecutor Christy Slavik said. “Simply put, the defendant cannot be trusted.”

She also questioned the efficacy of a team of private security guards paid for by Combs.

“There is really just no separation for the defendant. You work for him. There’s just no way to trust that any private security firm could do what the court requires and ensure compliance,” Slavik said.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and prostitution charges.

His attorneys conceded hotel security camera video obtained by CNN depicted “physical conduct” between Combs and his ex-girlfriend Cassie but argued the video should not be used to keep Combs behind bars.

The defense argued in a filing on Thursday that prosecutors “invented” the narrative using a “manipulated version” of the video. The defense insisted the video did not depict a “freak off,” the name for the sex-fueled parties allegedly held by Combs, but rather showed a domestic dispute in which Combs ran down the hall of the hotel to recover his clothes and cellphone.

“It’s our defense to these charges that this was a toxic end of a loving relationship,” Agnifilo said Friday.

Federal prosecutors said “it was a bit puzzling” the defense brought up the video because Combs does not dispute what it shows.

“The defendant admitted it and apologized for it in a public Instagram post. Shoving, kicking and dragging a female victim,” Slavik said.