Pennsylvania Man Sentenced for Trafficking Stolen Human Remains

Man Sentenced in Federal Human Remains Case

On Monday, United States District Judge Matthew Brann sentenced Jeremy Pauley, a 43-year-old man from Thompson, Pennsylvania, to six years in federal prison in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, the sentence followed Pauley’s conviction for conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property involving human remains. In addition to the prison term, Judge Brann ordered Pauley to pay a $2,000 fine and to serve three years of supervised release after completing his custodial sentence.

Role in Nationwide Human Remains Network

The U.S. Attorney's Office stated that Pauley admitted his role in a nationwide network of individuals who bought and sold human remains that had been stolen from Harvard Medical School and from a mortuary in Arkansas. Officials said Pauley bought human remains from multiple people, knowing the remains were stolen, and that he also sold human remains as part of this activity.

Pauley pleaded guilty to the federal charges in September 2023. At the time of his plea, he faced a potential maximum sentence of up to 15 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Investigation and Related Indictments

The sentencing of Pauley occurred in connection with a broader, nationwide investigation into the theft and sale of human body parts. As part of that investigation, multiple other individuals were previously indicted. The news release stated that several of those individuals entered guilty pleas.

Christopher Nielsen, inspector in charge of the Philadelphia Division of the Postal Inspection Service, said in the news release that the trafficking of stolen human remains through the U.S. Mail victimizes grieving families and creates a potentially hazardous situation for Postal Service employees and customers.

Earlier Arrest and Discovery of Human Remains

Pauley was first arrested in the summer of 2022 after investigators found 5-gallon buckets filled with human remains inside his home in Enola, Pennsylvania. A report stated that Pauley owns an oddities store in Honesdale, located in Wayne County, Pennsylvania.