The following is a brief update on the criminal investigation into former HMS employee Cedric Lodge, as announced publicly by the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and available through the public court docket (U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Docket No. 4:23-cr-00159).
Future updates on the criminal case from the USAO can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-mdpa in the News section. To access the court case docket, members of the public can register through www.pacer.uscourts.gov. There is a modest fee ($.10/page) for accessing case information, but no charge if the user does not exceed $30 per quarter.
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On June 14, 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that five individuals, including former HMS employee Cedric Lodge, were arrested and indicted by a federal grand jury on conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods charges. One additional individual, Jeremy Pauley, was charged by criminal information, and one additional individual, Candace Chapman Scott, was previously indicted in the Eastern District of Arkansas.
Federal investigators have stated that Lodge acted without the knowledge or cooperation of anyone else at HMS or Harvard.
In the press release, U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam said, “The theft and trafficking of human remains strikes at the very essence of what makes us human. It is particularly egregious that so many of the victims here volunteered to allow their remains to be used to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science and healing. For them and their families to be taken advantage of in the name of profit is appalling. With these charges, we are seeking to secure some measure of justice for all these victims. I’d like to thank Harvard Medical School, which is also a victim here, for their cooperation in this investigation.”
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On Sept. 8, 2023, the USAO announced that Jeremy Pauley, who was a purchaser in the criminal scheme, pleaded guilty to his charges and admitted to his role in a nationwide network of individuals who bought and sold human remains stolen from HMS and an Arkansas mortuary. The press release also stated that five other individuals, including Lodge, are pending trial.
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As of Nov. 30, 2023, the public court case docket available at www.pacer.com shows that Lodge and co-defendants are scheduled for trial no earlier than April 2024, which represents the third extension of the trial date requested by the defendants.
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The USAO has said it will continue to attempt to identify victims. Unfortunately, the USAO also has indicated that positive identifications are not likely possible given the nature of the alleged crime.
Anyone who believes they or a family member may have been affected by the conduct charged in the indictments should contact the USAO Victim and Witness Unit at USAPAM.Victim.Information@usdoj.gov or 717-614-4249. Family members and next of kin may also use this contact information to request to be added to the contact list for this criminal case.