By Calvin Palmer
A former funeral director was today sentenced to five years in prison for his part in a scheme that illegally harvested body parts for resale.
Stephen Finley, 45, was sentenced by a New Jersey Superior Court judge and was warned he could face further charges for continuing to work as a mortician after his license was revoked.
Finley had pleaded guilty in February to desecrating human remains.
Prosecutors said he and former Fort Lee oral surgeon Michael Mastromarino allowed the removal of body parts from about 40 corpses without getting permission from next of kin.
Finley received $1,000 for each body.
The scheme was masterminded by Mastromarino who is serving 18 to 54 years in prison.
[Based on reports by newsday.com and UPI.]
1 Comment
June 3, 2009 at 8:58 am
I’ve known Stephen Finley for many years, as a kind and generous man who gave freely of his time to his running club and was a loving family man. He’s not a bad person, just a person who made a bad choice in life and is paying adequately for his mistake.