NEW YORK, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Four people were arraigned in New York for allegedly defiling thousands of corpses, including Alistair Cooke's, and illegally selling the body parts.
A Brooklyn grand jury handed up a 122-count indictment accusing former New Jersey dentist Michael Mastromarino of running the ring that sent illegally harvested body parts to hospitals nationwide, New York's Newsday reported Friday.
In the case of Cooke, who died of lung cancer in 2004 at age 95, authorities said records were doctored to say the former "Masterpiece Theatre" host was 85 and died of a heart attack.
The nine-month investigation into the ring centered on BioMedical Tissue Services and BioTissue Technologies, both headquartered in Fort Lee, N.J., authorities said.
Indicted with Mastromarino, 42, were funeral director Joseph Nicelli, 50; nurse Lee Crucetta, 33; and Christopher Aldorasi, 32.
All four defendants entered not guilty pleas at their arraignments in Brooklyn Supreme Court Thursday. Bail was set at $1.5 million for Mastromarino; $500,000 for Crucetta and Aldorasi; and $250,000 for Nicelli.
