The three men also jointly own Liberty Cremation. Agnes Folger believes the body of her 81-year-old husband, Several funeral home operators in New York have also pleaded 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Deli worker killed in apparent robbery on Upper East Side, Lori Lightfoot lost for failing Chicago not because voters are racist/sexist, Investigators want to exhume body of Alex Murdaughs dead housekeeper, Accused pedophile mayor called Pete Buttigieg his buddy and mentor, paid to have their late loved ones cremated. "It seems like this in this case . Im taking responsibility.. The defendants typically made up names for the donors and forged MONTROSE, Colo. Two operators of a western Colorado funeral home were sentenced to federal prison Tuesday after being accused of illegally selling the bodies or body parts of hundreds of . They want Michael Mastromarino to serve an additional 20 to 40 The group also lowered the donors' ages and changed their dates of death to make it appear the body parts were more fresh, authorities said. All he was supposed to do was come and harvest the tissue and send the samples down to the processors," defense lawyer Mario Gallucci said. By John Shiffman. Hess and Koch also shipped bodies and body parts that tested positive for, or belonged to people who died from, infectious diseases including Hepatitis B and C, and HIV, despite certifying to buyers that the remains were disease-free, authorities said. Mobi Medical Supply also offers quality mortuary stretchers and cots for the funeral home and removal services industry. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Experts estimate that a single body can be worth $100,000 in parts, and the industry as a whole has topped $1 billion in revenue per year. A human head and spine sold for $850, while a full pelvis all the way to the toes priced out at $2,850. processors," defense lawyer Mario Gallucci said Thursday. The U.S. Attorney's Office for . A Colorado-based funeral home director has been sentenced to 20 years in prison stemming from a litany of charges including fraud and illegally selling the body parts or bodies of approximately 500 individuals whose families did not consent to that practice.. Megan Hess, 46, who supervised the Sunset Mesa Funeral Home in Montrose, Colorado, recently pleaded guilty to mail fraud and aiding . The funeral directors forged death certificates that said the donors had died of heart attacks or blunt-force trauma but were otherwise healthy, prosecutors said. They took remains without permission from 244 cadavers, an indictment says. Burial vault. Wetzel and Son Funeral Home Inc. 6902 Rising Sun Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19111. When asked to describe the crime in a United States District Court in Grand Junction, Tuesday, Hess said, "I exceeded the scope of the consent and I'm trying to make an effort to make it right," reported The Daily Sentinel. He has agreed to help locate records for the families and then sold to the tissue banks for dental implants, knee and hip She could face up to 20 years in prison. Many families received ashes from bins mixed with the remains of different cadavers, authorities said, and one client received concrete mix instead of a relative's ashes. Get ready!!!! In 2009, Hess and her mother, Shirley Koch, launched a nonprofit donor services organization called Sunset Mesa Funeral Foundation, a body-broker service operating out of the funeral home doing business that would sell body parts to third parties mostly for surgical training and other educational purposes. The 244 bodies fetched about $1,000 each, the grand jury found, with the body parts being transplanted in unsuspecting medical patients worldwide. Prior to the raid, the cost of purchasing an arm and shoulder was $600. appreciated. The black-market sales occurred from at least February 2004 through September 2005, prosecutors said. Charges also were filed against Louis and Gerald Garzone's funeral homes and the crematorium, but not the McCafferty funeral home. "This was not a coincidence," the grand jury said. last year but continued to run their two homes in Philadelphia, In fact, the grand jury said, the lack of oversight helped Mastromarino go undetected for years, and it recommended a raft of changes that state and federal overseers should make. Still, the authorities said, families typically paid $1,000 or more for a cremation that often never occurred. Find 1 listings related to Mccafferty Funeral Home in Ambler on YP.com. However, it isn't clear whether what they were allegedly doing is illegal in any way . The looted bodies in New York include that of "Masterpiece While the mostly poor families thought their loved ones were But instead of offering guidance, these greedy women betrayed the trust of hundreds of victims and mutilated their loved ones, Leonard Carollo, the acting special agent in charge at the FBI in Denver, said in a news release. The empty Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors & Donor Services in Montrose, Colorado. innocent. forgery and theft of body parts. came home in one piece from the war. They each pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and aiding and abetting. A former Colorado funeral home owner pleaded guilty to secretly . By The Associated Press. Chopped into pieces, thrown into luggage; one of the accomplices chose to dump the luggage in little India. She operated a funeral home, Sunset Mesa, and a body parts entity . Funeral directors Louis Garzone, 65, of Philadelphia; his younger brother, Gerald Garzone, 47, of North Wales; and James McCafferty, 37, of Philadelphia; were arrested Thursday on thousands of . at least 244 corpses. The Associated Press. Mastromarino, 44, remains in New York custody after his guilty The cause was bone and brain cancer, said his attorney, Mario Gallucci. otherwise healthy, prosecutors said. The largest demand is for bone used in spinal surgery, but a growing sports-medicine business also has driven up demand for tendons, ligaments and cartilage. PHILADELPHIA (AP) - April 4, 2008 Louis Garzone's attorney, Howard Kaufman, said he had not seen the grand jury report and so could not comment on the charges. The funeral-home directors and their partners, two men who bought the tissue for resale, then falsified paperwork to make the "donors" appear healthy, the report said. A Colorado funeral home operator was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for cutting up the bodies of 560 people and selling the parts without permission. was HIV-positive and suffered from hepatitis C and cancer. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Rent space on your skin for thousands of dollars. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. Morgan Cemetery Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. In such circumstances, despite lacking any authorization, Koch and Hess recovered body parts from, or otherwise prepared entire bodies of hundreds of decedents for body broker services.. Dion Rassias, an attorney for the James A. McCafferty Funeral Home, at Frankford and Unruh Avenues in Mayfair, said James McCafferty Jr. was not a director at his mother's funeral home. "We, by law, had to grant [James Garzone] his license," said Basil Merenda, commissioner of the state Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs. corruption, body stealing and reckless endangerment. The company sold the body parts to treat burns, replace broken bones and provide for other medical needs, the indictment said. by the Garzones. 1,700 counts charged, such as running a criminal enterprise and Human Corpse Being Transported to Funeral Home Ejected from Van in Pileup on N.J. Freeway. McCafferty, 37, of Philadelphia; were arrested Thursday on Wales, and James McCafferty, 37, of Philadelphia, have pleaded not PHILADELPHIA Three funeral directors sold hundreds of bodies Mastromarino often filled in phony information on death Megan Hess and her mother Shirley Koch defrauded over 200 families by handing over random ashes while selling body parts of deceased individuals entrusted to their funeral home. it was so dirty," Abraham said. ", Some of the parts taken in Philadelphia came from people who had died of cancer, sepsis, HIV and hepatitis, the grand jury said. Auto Body Shops Auto Glass Repair Auto Parts Auto Repair Car Detailing Oil Change Roadside Assistance Tire Shops Towing Window Tinting. "He's obviously not in great spirits, but he's doing OK given the circumstances.". Those charges are pending, but seven New York funeral- home directors pleaded guilty last year to helping Mastromarino steal from bodies. "They were motivated by greed.". The stolen bones . unbelievably craven nature of what they did," Philadelphia District Add to cart More. Hundreds of patient lawsuits have been filed in federal court in New Jersey and state courts around the country. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. IE 11 is not supported. Megan Hess was . Did you encounter any technical issues? According to NBC News, Hess and her mother now face 135 years in prison each. While it is illegal to sell organs such as hearts, kidneys and tendons for transplant in the United States,the sale of cadavers and body parts for use in research or education is not regulated by federal law. A stout, ruddy-faced James McCafferty Jr. - the third of the Philadelphia funeral-home operators who participated in the sickening national scam to illegally sell body parts - was sentenced yesterday to 3 1/2 to 10 years in state prison. Cruceta, who lives in Monroe, N.Y., said he believes his client is A former Colorado funeral home owner was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on Tuesday for defrauding relatives of the dead by dissecting 560 corpses and selling body parts without permission . said. The defendants conduct was horrific and morbid and driven by greed, US Attorney Cole Finegan said. From 2017-2021 Matthews was a guest host for RUSH Limbaugh and had the honor of hosting the last show on Rush's EIB Network-including the final Open Line Friday. The three funeral-home directors - Louis Garzone, 65; his brother Gerald Garzone, 47; and James A. McCafferty Jr., 37 - were accused of plundering 244 cadavers between February 2004 and September 2005. Flowers. Hess then "sold those remains to victims purchasing the remains for scientific, medical, or educational purposes," the release added. The black-market sales went on from at least February 2004 through September 2005, prosecutors said. 2023 Cable News Network. "They have four or five deaths a day. The defendants typically made up names for the donors and also forged family consent forms, the indictment said. ", The statement added that "These shipments would be through the mail or on commercial air flights in violation of Department of Transportation regulations regarding the transportation of hazardous materials.". Mastromarino is already facing charges in New York for allegedly Megan Hess faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal mail fraud. A lawyer for Cruceta, who lives in Monroe, N.Y., said he believes his client is innocent. Philadelphia, Peruto said. PHILADELPHIA - Three funeral directors sold hundreds of bodies to a former oral surgeon who allegedly collected the bones, tissue and skin from the corpses to be used in . Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Folger, who brought a small U.S. flag to the court hearing. "In many instances, Koch and Hess neither discussed nor obtained authorization for donation of decedents' bodies or body parts for body broker services," the news release said. The Garzone brothers voluntarily surrendered their funeral director licenses last year, and the state revoked McCafferty's in an unrelated case about a month ago, officials said. The three Philadelphia suspects were taken into custody and it James E Fyfe Funeral Director. to a former oral surgeon who allegedly collected the bones, tissue Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. We are available 24 hours a day, everyday of the year for emergency death care. Copyright 2023 WPVI-TV. Donate your eggs to earn up to $10,000! A burial vault is required for most cemeteries, but you may choose to purchase one online or elsewhere, if you'd wish. Add to Compare. Many families received ashes mixed with the remains of different cadavers, prosecutors said. directors were in charge of getting consent. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. A Colorado funeral home director accused of stealing and selling the body parts of hundreds of people has pleaded guilty to mail fraud. The three Philadelphia suspects were taken into custody and it was not immediately clear if they had attorneys. Disgraced South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh has been convicted of murder in the 2021 shootings of his wife and son. part is pursuing a civil suit, Abraham said. All rights reserved. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for Mccafferty Funeral Home locations in Ambler, PA. . According to authorities, they made hundreds of thousands of dollars selling off bodies . The woman, Megan Hess, 45, the principal figure in the scheme, was assisted by her mother, Shirley Koch, who is in her late 60s, prosecutors said. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Funeral directors Louis Garzone, 65, Gerald Garzone, 47, and James McCafferty, 37, were arrested Thursday on thousands of counts, ranging from running a corrupt organization to forgery and theft of body parts. $1,300. This is a common price to purchase funeral flowers. (Reuters) - A second Colorado woman pleaded guilty on Tuesday to defrauding relatives of the dead as part of a scheme in which a funeral home sold body parts without permission . Church Truck Drapes; Funeral Supplies . "Meeting with hospice on the 4th opening the floodgates of donors," Hess wrote to a prospective body-part buyer in 2014. In Philadelphia, most of the bodies were scheduled for cremation Mastromarino The group also lowered the donors' ages and changed their dates of death to make it appear the body parts were more fresh, authorities said. One "My job is to make sure he doesn't do additional time just Megan Hess, 46, was sentenced Tuesday at a hearing in Grand Junction, Colorado for dissecting 560 . Megan Hess, who operated a funeral home called Sunset Mesa and a human body parts business called Donor Services from the same building, entered the plea to the charge of fraud at a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gordon Gallagher in Grand Junction, Colorado. Despite surrendering their licenses, the two Garzone funeral homes have continued operating under the control of a third brother, James, who revived a dormant Pennsylvania funeral home director license. Mastromarino owned Biomedical Tissue Services, a New Jersey Brothers Louis and Gerald Garzone, along with James McCafferty, REUTERS. Mastromarino to plead guilty to just a few of the approximately her fear. "He was victimized by the funeral directors. While the women sometimes received consent from families "to donate small tissue samples or tumors of their dead relatives," the New York Times reported that the pair supplied body parts for research even when families were never asked for their approval or rejected the request in advance. The stolen bones, skin and tissue which are nearly impossible to trace from donor to recipient because of forged documents were transplanted in unsuspecting medical patients worldwide, the grand jury in Philadelphia found. The company sold the parts to treat burns, replace broken bones This is the only funeral home my family has ever used. Megan Hess was sentenced to 20 years in prison and her mother, Shirley Koch, received 15 years for their involvement in the scheme to sell the human remains to body broker services, according to federal prosecutors. Ms. Koch has pleaded not guilty, but she has a change of plea hearing scheduled for July 12. funeral directors there have pleaded guilty, including one whose years in Philadelphia, where they say his team of cutters plundered family consent forms, the indictment said. Theatre" host Alistair Cooke. Instead of cremating the bodies, court records show, her body broker company harvested heads, spines, arms and legs and then sold them, mostly for surgical training and other educational purposes. Indicted on similar counts were Brooklyn residents Mastromarino, who lost his oral surgery license amid unrelated drug charges, and Lee Cruceta, a former nurse who allegedly ran the cutting crew. FBI agents found that Hess forged dozens of body-donor consent forms. Mastromarino pleaded guilty to 14 counts that include enterprise Dozens of patients, including some from Philadelphia and New Jersey, said they contracted hepatitis C after getting a transplant. About a month after the Reuters stories, the FBI raided the site and state regulators shuttered the funeral home and crematory. The most expensive prices were for an upper torso that included a head and arms ($4,000) and the cost of an entire body was $5,000, according to the price list. Sell your hair to earn up to $4,000! Hess charged families up to $1,000 for cremations that never occurred, prosecutors said, and she also offered others a free cremation in exchange for a body donation. A former employee accused her of earning$40,000 by extracting and selling the gold teeth of some of the deceased as part of the macabre scheme, according to court documents. "He A further eight criminal charges against her were dropped as a part of a plea deal, the newspaper added Tuesday. The United States Attorney's Office for the District . Prosecution seeks 12-15 year prison sentence, Colorado funeral home harvested and sold body parts. "I've yet to be shown a single shred of evidence that he knew Famous Brooklyn Funeral Home Selling Body Parts 2022. CNN has reached out to an attorney for Hess for comment. Mechafanboy said: There's a case in little India a few years back. They told the judge that while they were still emotionally reeling from the episode and wanted to learn more details about what occurred, they welcomed the news that Hess had decided to plead guilty. plundering 1,077 bodies, including those from Philadelphia. guilty and, along with Mastromarino, are set for trial on Sept. 2. All he was supposed to do was come and harvest the tissue and send the samples down to the The other location is at L and Lycoming Streets in Juniata Park. In one such case, the donor certificates to make the parts appear usable, the grand jury All he was supposed to do was come and harvest the tissue and send the samples down to the processors," defense lawyer Mario Gallucci said Thursday. Explore life stories, offer tributes & condolences, send flowers or create a lasting online memorial for loved ones. The three men were paid $1,000 for each body by Biomedical Tissue Services of Fort Lee, N.J., the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office said. A human head and spine sold for $850, while a full pelvis all the way to the toes priced out at $2,850. California residents do not sell my data request. Seven funeral directors in New York have pleaded guilty, including one whose funeral home allegedly removed parts from the body of the late "Masterpiece Theatre" host Alistair Cooke. Associated Press. Prior to the raid, the cost of purchasing an arm and shoulder was $600. They have four or five deaths a day. Three Philadelphia funeral-home directors were charged yesterday with turning their businesses into gruesome human chop shops that pilfered bones and tissue from the dead to fuel a booming, $1 billion transplant industry. The funeral directors forged death certificates that said the A Colorado funeral home director accused of stealing and selling the body parts of hundreds of people has pleaded guilty to mail fraud. All Rights Reserved. Mastromarino has pleaded not guilty to the New York charges. Updated: 7:04 PM MST January 5, 2023. In any case, the documents say, on hundreds of occasions the funeral home operators would sell heads, torsos, arms, legs or entire human bodies. I exceeded the scope of the consent and Im trying to make an effort to make it right, Ms. Hess said in United States District Court in Grand Junction, Colo., on Tuesday, according to The Daily Sentinel. July 5 (Reuters) - A former Colorado funeral home owner pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a federal charge of defrauding relatives of the dead by dissecting their family members' corpses and selling the body parts without permission, a practice exposed in a 2018 Reuters investigative report. A federal grand jury indicted Hess and Koch in 2020. On dozens of occasions, Hess and Koch transferred bodies or body parts to third parties for research without families knowledge, according to the U.S. Justice Department. It was not immediately known if the three funeral directors had attorneys. Few state laws provide any regulation, and almost anyone, regardless of expertise, can dissect and sell human body parts. or redistributed. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. A mother and daughter who ran a Colorado funeral home have been arrested for selling body parts and even entire bodies without consent from grieving relatives, federal authorities said . After Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Chaffin made his sentencing recommendation, the lawyer for Hess, Dan Shaffer, urged a lighter sentence of about two years in prison. In such a growing industry, small, unaccredited outfits outnumber the accredited ones, experts said. Hess, 45, admitted on Tuesday that through her funeral home, located in the town of Montrose in the western part of the state, she defrauded at least a dozen families seeking cremation services for deceased relatives. Prosecutors recommended a sentence for Hess of 12 to 15 years. Hess and her mother, Shirley Koch, 66, were first arrested for "illegally selling body parts or entire bodies without the consent of the family of the deceased," by the U.S. Department of Justice in March 2020. Her defense attorney has requested a lighter sentence of two years. One of the cadavers was that of Alistair Cooke, the host of Masterpiece Theater, who died in 2004 of cancer. While the mostly poor families thought their loved ones were being cremated, the bodies were often left unrefrigerated for days, sometimes in alleys beside the funeral home, until a cutter arrived, authorities said.
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