FBI Raids Human Body Parts Broker

The FBI has raided MedCure, a national company that solicits people to donate their bodies to science and then sells human parts for use by researchers and educators.

The search warrant executed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation at the company's headquarters in Portland, Oregon on Nov. 1 is sealed, and the bureau and the company declined to comment on the nature of the FBI investigation, Reuters reported, but people familiar with the matter said the inquiry concerns the manner in which MedCure distributes body parts acquired from its donors.

MedCure is among the largest brokers of cadavers and body parts in the United States.

From 2011 through 2015, documents obtained under public-record laws show, the company received more than 11,000 donated bodies and distributed more than 51,000 body parts to medical industry customers nationally. In a current brochure, the company says that 80,000 additional people have pledged to donate their bodies to MedCure when they die.

FBI spokeswoman Beth Anne Steele confirmed the day-long search of the 25,000-square-foot facility, but declined to comment further because the matter is under seal. A person familiar with the matter said that FBI agents took records from MedCure but did not remove human remains.

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