That term was cut short Sunday morning when Mastromarino, 49, died at a New York hospital. In 2003, the grand jury noted, an employee at a tissue- processing company described Mastromarino as "one of the leading procurers in the country," who was providing "a phenomenal amount of stuff. patients worldwide. A grand jury indictment charges that they were paid $1,000 per PHILADELPHIA Three funeral directors sold hundreds of bodies Ms. Hess altered lab reports so that they said that people had tested negative for diseases like H.I.V. IE 11 is not supported. plea there last month. Hess initially called the whole affair a "legal travesty." corpse to let Mastromarino's "cutters" hack up bodies, without and skin from the corpses to be used in transplants, a grand jury Mastromarino then falsified paperwork to change the causes of death, the age of the deceased and their medical history, the grand jury said. appreciated. team of "cutters" who stole the body parts, authorities said. Wetzel and Son Funeral Home Inc. 6902 Rising Sun Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19111. The U.S. Attorney's Office for . 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 Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors & Donor Services building sits empty in Montrose, Colorado, in 2018. Im taking responsibility.. Two Colorado funeral home operators who sold body parts or bodies in a scheme a prosecutor called "horrific" were sentenced to prison Tuesday, officials said.. Megan Hess, 46, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and her mother, Shirley Koch, 69, was sentenced to 15 years, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado said in a statement. The black-market sales occurred from at least February 2004 through September 2005, prosecutors said. James E Fyfe Funeral Director. parts, Peruto said. Donate bone marrow for up to $3,000. "They couldn't and wouldn't permit the dead to go to their graves with a shred of dignity," said District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham. made millions on the scheme, prosecutors say. Authorities said Mastromarino's company took bones and tissue from 1,077 bodies at funeral homes in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, making $3.8 million in illegal profits. One Find 1 listings related to Mccafferty Funeral Home in Ambler on YP.com. One woman who believes she contracted hepatitis from a tainted body part is pursuing a civil suit, Abraham said. Megan Hess, 46, pleaded guilty to fraud in July. "This was not a coincidence," the grand jury said. vowed to push for concurrent sentences. Copyright 2023 WPVI-TV. 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 . The looted bodies in New York include that of "Masterpiece Buy this on Ever Loved. The two women also delivered cremated remains to families that did not belong to the families loved ones, the news release said. to a former oral surgeon who allegedly collected the bones, tissue In any case, the documents say, on hundreds of occasions the funeral home operators would sell heads, torsos, arms, legs or entire human bodies. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) A Colorado funeral home operator accused of illegally selling body parts and giving clients fake ashes was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday by a federal court . A Colorado funeral home director accused of stealing and selling the body parts of hundreds of people has pleaded guilty to mail fraud. 1:59 PM EST, Thu January 5, 2023. Louis Garzone even ran this scheme, the grand jury said, in the case of five children killed in a 2005 fire in Tacony, a tragedy that drew an offer from the musician Stevie Wonder to pay for the funerals. 2023 Cable News Network. 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. Add to cart More. "He's going to plead not guilty, and from what I've heard, the amount that's been suggested for bail is excessive. All Rights Reserved. The funeral directors were in charge of getting consent. G. Frank Page, Jr. Funeral Home. Legal Statement. Still, the authorities said, families typically paid $1,000 or more for a cremation that often never occurred. 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. All he was supposed to of Philadelphia, and Gerald Garzone, 47, of North Wales, along with James McCafferty, 37, of Philadelphia, provided the bodies to Michael Mastromarino and . A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Anyone can read what you share. charged Thursday after a 16-month investigation. They took advantage of numerous victims who were at their lowest point given the recent loss of a loved one. The Reuters series uncovered the actions of Sunset Mesa and Donor Services. On other occasions, their request was rejected, and sometimes, they never brought up the topic at all. The grand jury report said, though, that James Garzone is not the one in charge. 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. In New York City, four men have been indicted for stealing body parts from a Brooklyn funeral home and selling them for transplant. "One of the cutters said it was like the back of a butcher shop, it was so dirty," Abraham said. Philadelphia, Peruto said. Ms. Hess and her mother sometimes obtained consent from families to donate small tissue samples or tumors of their dead relative, according to an indictment in the case. According to authorities, they made hundreds of thousands of dollars selling off bodies . One national law firm has clients who were patients at Temple, Hahnemann, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein Hospitals in Philadelphia, Holy Redeemer Hospital in Montgomery County, and Shore Memorial Hospital and AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in New Jersey. During the hearing, the judge asked Hess to describe in her own words the crimes she committed. The black-market sales occurred from at least February 2004 through She also offered free cremations in exchange for a body donation. Hatboro woman facing charges after racist rant at pizzeria, Eagles wide receiver assaulted, robbed at gunpoint in Maryland, Tom Sizemore dead at 61 after suffering brain aneurysm, Man missing since 2021 was murdered, co-worker arrested: DA, Do not to buy Raspberry Rally cookies from eBay, Girl Scouts say, Brian Laundrie was 'emotional bully,' Petito family lawsuit says, Pa. woman missing since 1992 found alive in Puerto Rico, Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison; defense to appeal, Woman has gun held to her head during home invasion: Police, Temple faculty union could hold no-confidence vote on Monday, Pennsylvania lawmaker says he won't quit amid sex misconduct claim. 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. The Garzone brothers surrendered their state funeral licenses Mastromarino plans to surrender Tuesday in Philadelphia and will fight the charges, his lawyer said. Michael Mastromarino, who operated the now-defunct Biomedical Tissue Services of Fort Lee, N.J., ran the scheme with help from a team of "cutters" who stole the body parts, authorities said. Get ready!!!! years in Philadelphia, where they say his team of cutters plundered Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. Associated Press. 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Louis Garzone, 65, of Philadelphia, Gerald Garzone, 47, of North Build the strongest argument relying on authoritative content, attorney-editor expertise, and industry defining technology. Three funeral directors sold 244 corpses for about $1,000 each to a New York businessman who trafficked in the resale of often-diseased body parts, a grand jury charged Thursday. Like Gore, Rathburn would also be convicted but in federal court of fraud for selling and transporting infected body parts. "Despite receiving $1,959 per child from Stevie Wonder, Louis Garzone filed a welfare claim for $750 for each," the grand jury said. because there are bodies in Pennsylvania," Peruto said. 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 . Instead of cremating the bodies, she harvested heads, spines, arms and legs and then sold them, according to court records. who lost his oral surgery license amid unrelated drug charges, and $1,300. (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 . Did you encounter any technical issues? Of the 244 bodies here, he changed the names on all but 48. By The Associated Press. The grand jury also charged Mastromarino and Lee Cruceta, a former nurse who allegedly ran the cutting crew, with similar counts. The cause was bone and brain cancer, said his attorney, Mario Gallucci. Updated. CNN has reached out to an attorney for Hess for comment. Some even had rigor mortis, the grand jury said. The two men were expected to surrender to Philadelphia authorities this week. Megan Hess, 46, operated the Sunset Mesa funeral home in Montrose, Colorado, alongside a body-parts entity called Donor Services, where she undertook the grisly scheme, starting in 2010. California residents do not sell my data request. "Hess, and at times Koch, would meet with families seeking cremation services, and would offer to cremate the decedents' bodies and provide the remains back to the families," the DOJ added, stating that the funeral home "would charge $1,000 or more for cremations, but many never occurred.". authorities said. Koch's change-of-plea hearing is set for July 12. 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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. 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. Theatre" host Alistair Cooke. In other instances, the topic of donation was raised by Hess or Koch, and specifically rejected by the families. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Both Hess and Koch originally had pleaded not guilty to the charges. A judge sentenced a Colorado funeral-home owner who carved up corpses and sold parts of them without families' permission to 20 years in prison on Tuesday, according to the Department of Justice. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. To maximize profits, Hess targeted poor and vulnerable families, struggling as they made arrangements in their relatives final days, according to court documents. Church Truck Drapes; Funeral Supplies . it was so dirty," Abraham said. A former Colorado funeral home operator has pleaded guilty to stealing and then selling hundreds of human bodies or body parts to people who were buying the remains for scientific, medical or . Prior to the raid, the cost of purchasing an arm and shoulder was $600. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. company that shipped bones, skin and tendons to tissue processors. Hess, 45, and her mother, Shirley Koch, operated the Sunset Mesa Funeral Home in Montrose. A spokeswoman for the Justice Department and a lawyer for Ms. Koch declined to comment on the plea agreement. Morgan Cemetery Heres how prosecutors said the scheme worked: From about 2010 to 2018 Ms. Hess was in charge of Donor Services, a nonprofit body broker service, and Sunset Mesa Funeral Directors, which offered to arrange cremations, funerals and burials in the small western Colorado city of Montrose. body, but the Philadelphia woman believes the missing age and cause About a month after the Reuters stories, the FBI raided the site and state regulators shuttered the funeral home and crematory. Mastromarino has pleaded not guilty to the New York charges. the families' knowledge or permission. Michael Mastromarino, who operated the now-defunct Biomedical and provide for other medical needs, the 111-page indictment said. transplant recipients suing tissue banks over the often-diseased 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. Market data provided by Factset. As with other commodities, prices for bodies and body parts fluctuate with market conditions. In some cases, the pair would ship bodies and body parts that tested positive for or belonged to people who had died from infectious diseases such as Hepatitis B and C and HIV after certifying to buyers that the remains were disease-free, the news release said. 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. REUTERS/Mike Wood/File Photo. Michael Mastromarino, a businessman and former dentist, ran the scheme with help from a team of "cutters" who stole the body parts, authorities said. Folger, who brought a small U.S. flag to the court hearing. "I love Louis.". The company sold the parts to treat burns, replace broken bones and provide for other medical needs, the 111-page indictment said.