Man convicted in infected body parts probe loses appeal

DETROIT (AP) - An appeals court has affirmed the conviction of a Detroit-area man who was accused of supplying infected cadavers and body parts for medical training.

Arthur Rathburn raised many issues on appeal. He says federal prosecutors treated him unfairly at trial by showing photos of frozen heads and unsanitary lab conditions. The court says the photos were "potentially unpleasant," but they still were relevant to the government's case.

Rathburn, a Grosse Pointe Park resident, was convicted of fraud and shipping hazardous materials. Investigators say he regularly provided body parts to medical groups for seminars but didn't disclose that the parts came from people with HIV or hepatitis

Rathburn was sentenced a year ago to nine years in prison. He said his lab was "perfect."

Published: Tue, May 14, 2019