Honesdale 'Oddities' Shop Owner Gets 6 Years for Trafficking Stolen Human Remains From Harvard Medical School

Jeremy Pauley sentenced Monday in Williamsport; prosecutors say he continued selling body parts—including dead babies—from downtown Honesdale store after pleading guilty

HONESDALE, WAYNE COUNTY — The owner of a downtown Honesdale curiosities shop was sentenced Monday, December 22, 2025 to six years in federal prison for his role in a nationwide human remains trafficking ring that stretched from Harvard Medical School to the Pocono Mountains.

Jeremy Lee Pauley, 43, of Thompson, Susquehanna County, appeared before Chief U.S. District Judge Matthew W. Brann in Williamsport, who imposed 72 months incarceration, three years supervised release, and a $2,000 fine.

Pauley operates The Wunderkammer Olde Curiosities Shoppe on Main Street in Honesdale with fiancée Sophie Vietri (who goes by Sophie Mae Vee professionally)—a business prosecutors say continued trafficking human remains even after his September 2023 guilty plea.

“The trafficking of stolen human remains through the U.S. Mail is a disturbing act that victimizes already grieving families,” said Christopher Nielsen, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the Postal Inspection Service.

Prosecutors Sought 15 Years

The sentence fell well short of what prosecutors requested. In a 41-page memorandum filed December 5, 2025, U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller’s office sought 15 years and a $20,000 fine, arguing Pauley “relishes his position as a notorious, financially successful trafficker of human remains.”

Prosecutors pointed to Pauley’s Wayne County shop as evidence of continued illegal activity: “Pauley and his partner opened another shop in Honesdale, Wayne County, where he continues to make a living through buying and selling human remains. He has come, again, into possession of the bodies of dead babies.”

The government cited social media posts where Pauley admitted to possessing dead babies, leather made from human skin, candles made from human fat, and “wets”—dealer slang for organs and wet-preserved specimens—at his Honesdale location.

Harvard Morgue Manager Stole Body Parts

The case traces to August 2022, when East Pennsboro Township Police discovered four-gallon containers of human body parts in Pauley’s Cumberland County basement after receiving a tip.

Pauley was central to a network trafficking remains stolen from Harvard Medical School’s Anatomical Gift Program and an Arkansas crematorium. Cedric Lodge, 58, Harvard’s former morgue manager, admitted stealing organs, brains, skin, hands, faces, and dissected heads from donated cadavers between 2018 and 2022—remains meant to be cremated after medical research.

Lodge and wife Denise sold parts from their New Hampshire home, shipping via U.S. Mail. Cedric Lodge received 96 months on December 16, 2025; Denise Lodge got 12 months and one day.

Pauley also bought from Candace Chapman-Scott, a former Arkansas Central Mortuary Services employee who stole body parts—including two stillborn babies whose families expected cremated remains. Chapman-Scott approached Pauley via Facebook in October 2021: “Just out of curiosity, would you know anyone in the market for a fully intact, embalmed brain?”

Over nine months, she sold him fetuses, brains, hearts, lungs, genitalia, and skin for $10,975 through PayPal, once offering fetal remains at a discount because “he’s not in great shape.” She’s serving 15 years.

Criminal History Spans Two Decades

Monday’s sentencing adds to convictions across four Pennsylvania counties:

Berks County (2003): Corruption of minors, furnishing alcohol to minor — 2 years probation (CP-06-CR-0005033-2003)
Berks County (2006): Aggravated assault (F2), terroristic threats — 120 days to 23 months confinement (CP-06-CR-0004879-2003)
Carbon County (2013): Theft by deception (M2) — 1 year probation (CP-13-CR-0000662-2013)
Cumberland County (2024): Abuse of corpse (M2) — 2 years supervised probation (CP-21-CR-0002139-2023)

The Honesdale Shop

Despite pending charges, Pauley and Vietri opened The Wunderkammer in downtown Honesdale, selling taxidermy, antique medical equipment, bones, and preserved specimens. Vietri, a self-described “human blood artist” with 5,000 Facebook followers, told the Philadelphia Inquirer the shop showcases “medical remains and antiquities.”

Pauley claimed post-plea transactions were legal, sourced from “retired medical collections.” Prosecutors disagreed: “After conducting dozens of interviews of individuals who engage in the buying, selling, stealing, collecting, and preservation of human remains, the government has yet to identify a legal means of obtaining organs, skin, fetuses, or other parts of deceased human beings.”

Nine Federal Prosecutions

Others charged include Matthew Lampi (Minnesota, 15 months), Angelo Pereyra (18 months), and Joshua Taylor (Wernersville, Berks County) and Katrina Maclean (Salem, Massachusetts), both awaiting sentencing. Pauley and Lampi exchanged over $100,000 buying and selling parts from each other.

Ex-Wife Charged With Perjury; Fiancée Lost Civil Suit Against Her

Sarah Marie Pauley, 28, of Enola, faces felony perjury and two false swearing charges for allegedly lying under oath during their July 29, 2024, divorce about selling a mummified hand. She self-reported in December 2024. Released on recognizance, she waived her preliminary hearing October 8, 2025; pretrial conference is March 2, 2026 (Docket CP-21-CR-0002315-2025).

Separately, Vietri sued Sarah Pauley for $10,000 on June 30, 2025, in Cumberland County. Magisterial District Judge Michael Sanderson ruled for Sarah Pauley on September 30; Vietri appealed October 24 (Docket MJ-09103-CV-0000130-2025). The dispute’s nature wasn’t specified. Camp Hill attorney Geoffrey Scott McInroy represents Sarah Pauley in both matters.

Victims Left Wondering

Prosecutors argued the crimes caused incalculable harm: “His actions caused deep emotional harm to an untold number of family members left to wonder about the mistreatment of their loved ones’ bodies.”

One victim impact statement valued the loss at over $1 billion. Others wrote question marks. Judge Brann ruled in August 2024 that prosecutors couldn’t enhance Pauley’s sentence based on commercial value—the remains had no legal “pecuniary value”—but would consider victim impact.

Pauley reported spending $472,000 on his body parts enterprise and earning approximately $180,000 through mid-2022 before arrest.

The shop’s website, theoldewunderkammer.com, remained active Monday, listing “Human Brains Segment Vial” specimens. Whether the Honesdale business continues during Pauley’s incarceration was unclear.

Cumberland County DA Seán McCormack called it “one of the most bizarre investigations” in his 33-year career: “Just when I think I have seen it all, a case like this comes around.”

DEFENDANT: Jeremy Lee Pauley | DOB: 06/05/1982 | Thompson, PA 18465 | Owner, The Wunderkammer Olde Curiosities Shoppe, Honesdale

FEDERAL CASE: U.S. District Court, Middle District of PA | Judge Matthew W. Brann | Conspiracy (18 U.S.C. § 371), Interstate transportation of stolen property (18 U.S.C. § 2314) | Guilty plea 09/07/2023 | Sentence: 72 months prison, 3 years supervised release, $2,000 fine | Prosecutor: AUSA Alisan V. Martin | Defense: Jonathan R. White, Esq.

STATE CASE: CP-21-CR-0002139-2023 | Abuse of Corpse (M2) | Guilty plea 01/08/2024 | 2 years probation | Judge Albert H. Masland

CO-CONSPIRATORS: Cedric Lodge (96 months), Denise Lodge (12 months, 1 day), Candace Chapman-Scott (15 years), Matthew Lampi (15 months), Angelo Pereyra (18 months), Joshua Taylor (awaiting), Katrina Maclean (awaiting)

RELATED — CIVIL: MJ-09103-CV-0000130-2025 | Sophie Vietri v. Sarah Pauley | $10,000 claim | Judgment for defendant 09/30/2025 | Plaintiff appealed 10/24/2025

AGENCIES: FBI, USPIS Philadelphia, East Pennsboro Township PD, Cumberland County DA

Sarah Marie Pauley is presumed innocent until proven guilty.