Joshua Taylor, a 46-year-old man from Wernersville, Pennsylvania, has pleaded guilty to charges related to the buying and selling of stolen human remains. Federal officials revealed that Taylor was part of a multistate network that trafficked remains stolen from Harvard Medical School. He admitted to transporting these remains from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania between 2018 and 2022.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Taylor purchased the remains from Cedric and Denise Lodge, who were involved in stealing organs and body parts from cadavers intended for medical research. The remains were then sold to individuals, including Jeremy Pauley, who has also pleaded guilty in connection to the case.
The investigation, conducted by the FBI, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and local police, uncovered a clandestine market for human remains. The maximum penalty for Taylor's offense is 10 years in prison, though the plea agreement suggests a likely sentence of zero to six months.
This case is part of a broader investigation involving multiple defendants, some of whom have already been sentenced. For instance, Candace Chapman-Scott from Arkansas received a 15-year sentence for her role in the network. Taylor's sentencing will follow the federal guidelines and is pending further court proceedings.