SCRANTON, Pa. — A supervisor on the Harvard Medical School morgue, his spouse and three different folks have been indicted in reference to the theft and sale of human physique components, federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania introduced Wednesday.
Cedric Lodge, 55, of Goffstown, New Hampshire, stole dissected parts of cadavers that had been donated to the college within the scheme that stretched from 2018 to early 2023, in accordance with courtroom paperwork. The physique components had been taken with out the college‘s data or permission, authorities stated, including that the college has cooperated with the investigation.
Lodge generally took the physique components — which included heads, brains, pores and skin and bones — again to his residence the place he lived together with his spouse, Denise, 63, and a few stays had been despatched to consumers via the mail, authorities stated. Lodge additionally allegedly allowed consumers to come back to the morgue to choose what stays they wished to purchase.
Bodies donated to Harvard Medical School are used for schooling, educating or analysis functions. Once they’re now not wanted, the cadavers are normally cremated and the ashes are returned to the donor’s household or buried in a cemetery.
The indictment costs the Lodges and three others — Katrina Maclean, 44, of Salem, Massachusetts; Joshua Taylor, 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania; and Mathew Lampi, 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota — with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen items. It was not identified Wednesday if any of the defendants has retained a lawyer who may touch upon their behalf.
According to prosecutors, the defendants had been a part of a nationwide community of people that purchased and bought stays stolen from the college and an Arkansas mortuary. The Lodges allegedly bought stays to Maclean, Taylor, and others in preparations made via phone calls and social media web sites.
Taylor generally transported stolen stays again to Pennsylvania, authorities stated, whereas different occasions the Lodges would mail stays to him and others. Maclean and Taylor resold the stolen stays for revenue, authorities stated.
Two different folks have beforehand been charged within the case.
Jeremy Pauley, age 41, of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, allegedly purchased some stays from Candace Chapman Scott, of Little Rock, Arkansas, who allegedly stole them from a mortuary the place she labored. Authorities have stated Scott stole physique components from cadavers she was alleged to have cremated, noting most of the our bodies had been donated to and used for analysis and academic functions by a medical college in Arkansas.
Pauley allegedly bought most of the stolen stays to different folks, together with people, together with Lampi. Pauley and Lampi purchased and bought from one another over an prolonged time frame and exchanged greater than $100,000 in on-line funds, authorities stated.
Scott and Pauley have each pleaded not responsible.
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