Joshua Taylor, age 49, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 27 to 24 months in prison by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann for conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Taylor admitted his role in a nationwide network that bought and sold human remains, including remains stolen from Harvard Medical School. Taylor purchased human remains from multiple individuals knowing the remains were stolen.
Other individuals were indicted with Taylor as part of the same investigation. From 2018 through 2022, Cedric Lodge managed the morgue for the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School in Boston and stole organs and other parts of cadavers donated for medical research before their scheduled cremations. Lodge allegedly transported some stolen remains from Boston to his residence in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife Denise Lodge sold them to Katrina Maclean, Joshua Taylor, and others using cellular telephone and social media websites. At times, Cedric Lodge allowed Maclean and Taylor access to the morgue at Harvard Medical School to examine cadavers; on some occasions, Taylor transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania or received shipments from the Lodges out of state.
Maclean and Taylor sold these stolen remains for profit—including sales to Jeremy Pauley in Pennsylvania’s Middle District. Pauley also purchased human remains from Candace Chapman Scott, who stole them from her employer at a Little Rock mortuary and crematorium; Scott took parts of cadavers meant for cremation—many donated for research—as well as two stillborn babies whose bodies were supposed to be returned as ashes to their families.
Several defendants have entered guilty pleas in related cases: Joshua Taylor; Andrew Ensanian (sentenced to six months); Matthew Lampi (15 months); Katrina Maclean (awaiting sentencing); Cedric Lodge (12 months); Denise Lodge (96 months); Angelo Pereyra (18 months). Candace Chapman-Scott was sentenced in Arkansas federal court to fifteen years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, East Pennsboro Township Police Department, and Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania serves about 3.2 million residents across its region spanning over 21,900 square miles; it handles federal prosecutions—including victim assistance programs—and operates under the Department of Justice with facilities including Harrisburg, Scranton, Williamsport and Wilkes-Barre, according to the official website.