Candace Chapman Scott, a 37-year-old Arkansas native, pleaded guilty Thursday to trafficking human remains across state lines and conspiracy to commit mail fraud, a press release by the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas reads.
Scott was formerly employed at Arkansas Central Mortuary Services, a funeral home, and was indicted April 5th for selling 20 boxes of body parts to a man she met on Facebook, the New York Post reported. (RELATED: Woman Pleads Guilty To Allegedly Selling Stolen Body Parts From Harvard)
The DOJ’s investigation revealed that from October 2021 to approximately July 15, 2022, Scott “stole human body parts and fetal remains,” sold them and then arranged the shipping process to the buyer across state lines, the press release reads.
A judge will sentence Scott at a later date, the attorney’s office says. Scott, in exchange for her guilty plea, got the state to dismiss other charges.
Transportation of stolen property can be punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. Mail fraud can earn one 20 years in jail, at least three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
Woman Pleads Guilty to Transporting Stolen Human Body Parts Out of the State of Arkansas https://t.co/xsZaX26U9V
— Ilan Hulkower (@IHulkower) April 25, 2024
Six other individuals were charged as part of this human remains trading network, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.”I think that the facts … underlying the indictment and in the indictment are uniquely egregious and objectionable, and we believe there is going to be some significant public outcry as a result of this,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Jegley said.