VENUE, Pa. — Jeremy Pauley, a Pennsylvania resident and online collector of human oddities, was sentenced to six years in federal prison for his role in a nationwide network trafficking human remains, including items linked to Harvard Medical School.
Pauley, who binds books in human skin and preserves fetal remains, admitted to buying fetuses, hearts, brains, and skin from a mortuary worker in Arkansas. He also purchased skin and organs sourced from Harvard Medical School, prosecutors said. Through these macabre businesses, Pauley earned between $250,000 and $550,000.
Middle District of Pennsylvania Judge Matthew Brann imposed the sentence, which also included a $2,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Pauley is scheduled to report to prison on Jan. 16.
Authorities say Pauley’s 2022 arrest exposed an underground marketplace where buyers and sellers traded human remains via Facebook, PayPal, and the U.S. Postal Service. Nine people were ultimately charged, with items traced to a mortuary in Arkansas, a hospital in Kansas, and Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Despite pleading guilty in 2023 to conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods, Pauley allegedly continued trading in human remains with his partner, opening a shop selling bones and other “curiosities.” Prosecutors described him as a “notorious, financially successful trafficker of human remains” and sought a 15-year sentence and $20,000 fine.
Court filings indicate Pauley purchased at least two stillborn fetuses from mortuary worker Candace Chapman Scott, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Pauley referred to fetal remains as “my favorite things in the world” in Facebook messages.
Pauley’s partner, Sophie Vietri, defended him online, claiming his purchases were intended for conservation, restoration, and educational purposes. Prosecutors noted that while collectors often claim legality, fetal remains and internal organs are invariably stolen, and no legal avenue exists for private acquisition.
Other individuals involved in the network, including Harvard associates Katrina Maclean and Joshua Taylor, have pleaded guilty to interstate transport of stolen goods, while former Harvard morgue manager Cedric Lodge was sentenced to eight years in prison.
