Thompson Man Pleads Guilty To Trafficking In Stolen Human Remains

SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jeremy Pauley, age 41, of Thompson, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann to conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Pauley admitted to his role in a nationwide network of individuals who bought and sold human remains stolen from Harvard Medical School and an Arkansas mortuary.  In pleading guilty to a felony Information, Pauley admitted that he purchased human remains from multiple individuals knowing that those remains were stolen.  Pauley also admitted to selling many of the stolen remains to others, at least one of whom also knew they had been stolen. 

Previously, other individuals were also indicted on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen property as part of the same investigation.  The indictments allege that from 2018 through 2022, Cedric Lodge, who managed the morgue for the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School, located in Boston, Massachusetts, stole organs and other parts of cadavers donated for medical research and education before their scheduled cremations.  Lodge at times allegedly transported stolen remains from Boston to his residence in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife, Denise Lodge, sold the remains to Katrina Maclean, Joshua Taylor, and others, making arrangements via cellular telephone and social media websites.  At times, Cedric Lodge allegedly allowed Maclean and Taylor to enter the morgue at Harvard Medical School and examine cadavers to choose what to purchase.  On some occasions, Taylor transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania.  On other occasions, the Lodges shipped stolen remains to Taylor and others out of state.

Maclean and Taylor allegedly sold the stolen remains for profit, including to Jeremy Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.  Jeremy Pauley also allegedly purchased stolen human remains from Candace Chapman Scott, who stole remains from her employer, a Little Rock, Arkansas mortuary and crematorium.  Scott allegedly stole parts of cadavers she was supposed to have cremated, many of which had been donated to and used for research and educational purposes by an area medical school, as well as the corpses of two stillborn babies who were supposed to be cremated and returned as cremains to their families.  Scott allegedly sold the stolen remains to Pauley and shipped them to Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.  Pauley sold many of the stolen remains he purchased to other individuals, allegedly including Matthew Lampi.  Lampi and Pauley bought and sold from each other over an extended period and exchanged over $100,000 in online payments.

The individuals charged along with Pauley as a result of the investigation are pending trial:

• Cedric Lodge, age 55, of Goffstown, New Hampshire;
• Katrina Maclean, age 44, of Salem, Massachusetts;
• Joshua Taylor, age 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania;
• Denise Lodge, age 63, of Goffstown, New Hampshire; and
• Mathew Lampi, age 52, of East Bethel, Minnesota.

Additionally, Candace Chapman-Scott has been indicted in federal court in the District of Arkansas for her role in the conspiracy and for defrauding the mortuary that employed her.

The United States Attorney’s Office has and will continue to attempt to identify and contact as many of the victims and victims’ families affected by this case as possible. If anyone believes they or a family member may have been affected by the conduct described above, please contact our Victim and Witness Unit at USAPAM.Victim.Information@usdoj.gov or (717) 614-4249.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the East Pennsboro Township Police Department, and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni is prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 15 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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