A former employee of an Arkansas mortuary services provider has pleaded guilty to transporting stolen body parts across state lines and conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
The announcement was made by an Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Jonathan D. Ross, on April 25 in a Department of Justice (DOJ) press release.
Candace Chapman Scott, 37, of Little Rock, pleaded guilty to the charges before a U.S. District Judge after an initial investigation revealed that Ms. Scott stole human body parts and fetal remains while employed at Arkansas Central Mortuary Services between October 2021 and July 2022.
While employed at the mortuary services provider, her role included the transport, cremation, and embalming of remains. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock has said that’s where the medical school sent remains of cadavers that had been donated for medical students to examine.
Ms. Scott then initiated the sale of the body parts and fetal remains to an out-of-state buyer. In total, Ms Scott sold two dozen boxes of stolen body parts from medical school cadavers to a buyer in Pennsylvania for over $10,000.
Law enforcement collaborated with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the case, which led to Ms. Scott’s indictment in April 2023.
The indictment revealed that Ms. Scott set up the transactions with Jeremy Pauley, a Pennsylvania man she met through a Facebook group called “oddities.” Mr. Pauley subsequently pleaded guilty to charges of the theft and sale of the body parts in September last year.
Following her indictment, Ms. Scott was charged with six counts of wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, and two counts of interstate transportation of stolen property.
Judge Brian S. Miller dismissed additional charges in exchange for Ms. Scott’s guilty plea. She is due to be sentenced at a later date.
The transportation of stolen property across state lines is considered a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison, a minimum of three years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
The mail fraud charge could land Ms. Scott behind bars for up to 20 years, in addition to a minimum of three years of supervised release and a maximum fine of $250,000.
Ms. Scott’s attorney declined a request for comment from the Associated Press.
In addition to Ms. Scott, several other defendants were charged in what prosecutors have called a nationwide scheme to steal and sell human body parts. The scheme was reportedly centered around remains stolen from the Arkansas mortuary and Harvard Medical School.
Anyone with additional information on the case is urged to contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office by email at [email protected].
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
