A father and son from Illinois have been federally charged in Michigan for allegedly selling body parts infected with diseases on the black market. (iStock)
A father and son have been federally charged in Michigan for allegedly selling body parts infected with diseases on the black market.
Donald Greene Sr. and Donald Greene Jr. allegedly knew the body parts they sold from the now-closed Biological Resource Center of Illinois were infected with diseases including HIV, sepsis and hepatitis, according to CBS 2 Chicago.
The outlet reported that people donated the bodies of their loved ones to the Biological Resource Center of Illinois with the promise that they would be donated for medical research.
MAN HAD HUMAN BODY PARTS IN PAINT CANS, BEER COOLERS AND PLASTIC CONTAINERS: FBI AGENT
Instead, the bodies were kept on ice and allegedly sold, some for up to $100,000, according to a search warrant.
Federal prosecutors said the people who bought the bodies reportedly did not know they had tested positive for infectious diseases.
According to CBS 2, the Greenes allegedly sold the diseased remains from 2008 to 2014.
The charges allege the Greenes sold at least one part to Detroit Medical Center’s sports medicine department that “had previously tested positive for hepatitis,” allegedly concealed from the center by Greene Sr., according to the outlet.
MICHIGAN MAN JAILED FOR SELLING BODY PARTS INFECTED WITH HIV, HEPATITIS
Greene Sr. has been charged with wire fraud while his son has been charged with intentionally concealing a crime.
The charges were filed last week as a criminal information, which means a guilty plea is expected.
The charges against the Greenes are related to an investigation that saw the arrest of a Detroit-area man who was sentenced last year to 9 years in prison.
Arthur Rathburn was convicted of fraud and shipping hazardous materials last May. Investigators said he regularly provided body parts to medical associations for various seminars but didn't tell them that the parts came from people with infectious diseases.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Fox News Health
Stay up-to-date on the biggest health and wellness news with our weekly recap.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.