Athens Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Medical Teaching Items from University

COLUMBUS, OH—Weston Henri Moquin, 28, of Athens, Ohio, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property and one count of theft from a program receiving federal funds in connection with the theft and sale of human bones and plastinated human remains from Ohio University.

Carter Stewart, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Kevin R. Cornelius, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced the plea entered today before Senior U.S. District Judge Peter C. Economus.

According to court documents, Moquin worked at Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and stole materials used as teaching aids between July 2011 and June 2012. The materials included loose human bones, skulls, skeletons, plastinated human remains, autopsy saws, and other materials that had been purchased by the university. Moquin sold the items primarily through his eBay account. Most of the stolen goods were shipped to customers in California, Utah, and Oregon. Moquin received a total of $84,683.85 for the items.

Each crime carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Economus will determine the sentence following a pre-sentence investigation by the court. The plea agreement also calls for Moquin to pay restitution to the university.

U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the investigation by the FBI, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah A. Solove who prosecuted the case.