New York Funeral Director Charged With Theft for Selling Human Body Parts

According to UPI.com - a former funeral director in the state of New York is currently on trial for theft crimes involving the sale of body parts from cadavers.  It is reported that Jason L. Gano, 32, removed body parts from cadavers and sold the body parts to a New Jersey company that no longer exists.

Gano used to work at the Burger Funeral Home in Hilton, New York.  He is the first of seven people who are set to stand trial for illegally taking and selling bones and tissues from 36 bodies.  The theft crimes were allegedly committed in 2005 and the body parts were sold to a company named Biomedical Tissue Services.

Mr. Gano recently pled guilty to his criminal charges.  However, it is believed that his lawyers will argue that the representatives from Biomedical Tissue Services presented Gano with permission forms for the sale of body parts.  His defense team will claim that Gano was not aware that the forms were in fact forged by the company. 

In 2005, police began to investigate Biomedical Tissue Services after they received allegations that the company faked permission of next of kin and offered $1,000 to funeral directors for harvesting bodies.  It is believed that the illegal harvesting occurred in Monroe County, where Biomedical has an office, and spread to other New York counties.

If you have been charged with a theft crime in New York, click here to find a criminal defense attorney near you!