Company CEO is 2nd person charged in case involving abuse of corpses at Austin mortuary
Dr. Aaron Ali, the chief executive officer of Austin-based MedtoMarket, is facing two charges: aggravated perjury, a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and abuse of a corpse without legal authority, a state jail felony punishable by up to two years in state jail.
In an emailed statement that described the charges as "completely unfounded," Ali's lawyer, Eric J.R. Nicols, said his client was arrested on Monday and released later in the day.
An arrest affidavit for Ali said his company supplied the arms of human corpses to Capital Mortuary Services, the North Austin mortuary at the center of the case, so staff there could conduct experiments on them. That's according to a statement that mortuary owner Adaline Bui gave to authorities.
Bui, who was arrested and charged last week with abuse of a corpse and tampering with a government record, told police that MedtoMarket had requested a study on the arms to see how long they could be preserved for months at a time with or without formaldehyde being injected into them, according to the affidavit.
Bui also told police that "up to 15 bodies had been mutilated and subject to experimentation with the permission of MedtoMarket."
More: Austin funeral home owner charged with abusing corpses, fabricating death certificates
The affidavit said that Ali told police on April 10 that he had asked Capital Mortuary Services to do embalming — not testing — on two arms. He later confirmed the mortuary was embalming arms to see how long they could preserve them.
'To some degree, law enforcement investigators have to rely on information provided by others," Nicols, Ali's lawyer, said in his statement. "In this case, it is clear that law enforcement has been provided with incorrect information."
Ali told authorities he never went to the mortuary to observe the testing but inquired about the condition of the arms, according to the affidavit, which said that "Ali provided that he probably would have spoken to Adeline Bui about the tests." The document noted that the executive director of the Texas Funeral Service Commission told police that it was against the law for Capital Mortuary Services to use a dead body for research or education purposes unless defined by a state code.
On April 16, the affidavit said Ali testified on proposed legislation during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services. In his testimony, he told the committee that MedtoMarket is a "state approved anatomical facility" that works closely with "physicians, first responders, military personnel, FBI and other healthcare programs to offer essential cadaver-based training," according to the affidavit. He also said he was the chairman of the State Anatomical Advisory Committee under the Texas Funeral Service Commission, the document said.
Ali told the Senate committee that all the trainings on cadavers take place at the MedtoMarket facility, according to the affidavit. But police think that Ali was not telling the truth, the document said.
"Dr. Ali providing the arms to the unlicensed and unapproved facility for experimental testing, that he asked for, is completely oppositional to his statements made in the Senate about who and where approved anatomical specimen testing is allowed to take place," the affidavit said.
Nicols disagreed with police, saying in his statement that 'contrary to some of the information provided to law enforcement, all of the activities by Dr. Ali and the companies he works with were fully authorized by law."
"Anatomical facilities work with tissue that is donated by well-meaning donors and their families to serve the interests of medical science and the entire Texas community," Nicol said.
He went on to note that Ali has had a long career "distinguished by his dedication to the health and well-being of others."
"This has been shown in the area of anatomical bioskills training, education and research, as well as in his work as a board-certified physician," Nicols said. "He is also a responsible and active Travis County citizen and previously served in the United States Army Reserves."
According to a biography on MedtoMarket's website, Ali is a board-certified anesthesiologist and served as chief resident during his specialty medical training at Duke University.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Second person charged in corpse abuse case at Austin mortuary
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'He said that he was Jesus': Police release details on deadly Texas Target shooting
The man suspected of fatally shooting three people, including a child, in a Target parking lot in Austin, Texas, told police that he was Jesus and obtained a firearm through a family member despite a history of mental health issues, authorities said. Police identified the shooter as Ethan Nieneker, 32, and said that he began his attack by fatally shooting Target employee Hector Leopoldo Martinez Machuca as he collected shopping carts on Aug. 11. Nieneker then ran up to a gray Toyota 4-Runner, and fatally shot Adam Chow and his 4-year-old granddaughter before pushing Chow's wife from the vehicle, police said in a news release. Chow's wife survived with minor injuries. "What happened yesterday was an unprovoked and deliberate attack, a deliberate act of violence," Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said on Aug. 12. "Innocent lives were taken in broad daylight, in a place where people should feel safe to run their everyday errands and to live their everyday lives." USA TODAY is working to reach an attorney or family member who can speak on Nieneker's behalf. Chaotic timeline following deadly Target shooting Following the killings at 2:15 p.m. CT, police say that Nieneker stole Chow's car and made a chaotic getaway, assaulting multiple people and stealing cars along the way. Here's a timeline released by authorities: 2:20 p.m.: Driving the 4-Runner, police said Nieneker came across a parked water truck, opened the driver's door, assaulted the driver, and threw him out of the vehicle before trying to drive it. Unable to figure out how to operate the truck, authorities said he then chased a man, pistol in hand, before returning to the 4-Runner and driving off. 2:25 p.m.: Police said Nieneker crashed the 4-Runner into a Volkswagen and landed on top of an SUV. He then jumped out of the 4-Runner, assaulted the Volkswagen's driver, pushed her out of the car, and drove off. 2:34 p.m.: According to police, Nieneker ran up to a Waymo vehicle and unsuccessfully tried to break in before he got back in the Volkswagen and drove away. 2:37 p.m.: Police said Nieneker threw a brick through a window of the home of someone he knew through Bible study. 2:58 p.m.: Austin police received a call from a South Austin resident who reported seeing a man run into a porta potty and then leave naked. 3:06 p.m.: Police found Nieneker, naked and holding a Bible. They said he failed to comply with their commands, so they used a Taser stun gun on him and arrested him. They found clothing inside the porta potty matching the Target shooting suspect's attire, including a Hawaiian shirt. Charges, motive, and what we know about Ethan Nieneker Davis said Nieneker worked at a local restaurant and lived alone. He's been charged with two counts of capital murder and first-degree felony murder. Police said he will face more charges related to the subsequent assaults and carjackings. As for a motive, police Sgt. Nathan Sexton said there was "really no reason whatsoever given." "He said that he was Jesus," Sexton said. "It was a completely random choosing of the victims." Sexton said the handgun used in the attack was "acquired through family" and that the department was investigating possible charges against the family member. Davis said Nieneker's history with Austin police included assault causing bodily injury to a family member, driving under the influence, violation of a protective order, marijuana possession, and two mental health reports. "This man had some serious issues, and I think about the systems that failed in a way, as we move forward," she said. "We're looking at this background, and again, this is going to be things that are going to be coming up in the months and the years ahead. There were some serious failures here." 'Pain caused will be felt by our community for years to come' Davis declined to detail who failed Nieneker or exactly how, and said she did not know if he had been officially diagnosed. "What help are they getting when you're dealing with someone with these issues?" Davis asked. "Where does someone with this capacity to do this get a weapon? And when does a family member feel comfortable giving someone with these issues a weapon?" She called the case "a heartbreaking and deeply painful time for our city." "The actions of the suspect showed a complete disregard for human life," she added. "The pain caused will be felt by our community for years to come." Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at and follow her on X at @AmandaLeeUSAT This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas Target shooting: Austin police release details about the attack
The Hill
3 hours ago
- The Hill
US grand jury indicts one of Haiti's most powerful gang leaders and one of his friends
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted one of Haiti's most powerful gang leaders and a U.S. citizen accused of conspiring with him to violate U.S. sanctions and fund gang activities in the troubled Caribbean country, the U.S. Justice Department announced Tuesday. Jimmy Chérizier, best known as 'Barbecue,' is a leader of a gang federation called Viv Ansanm that the U.S. designated as a foreign terrorist organization in May. Chérizier lives in Haiti, and the United States is offering up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction. Chris Landberg, a senior U.S. State Department official, said Chérizier's 'reign of terror and mass violence against Haiti must end.' But Jake Johnston, author of 'Aid State' and international research director at the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research, questioned the government's reason for offering a bounty. 'This is a guy who is giving international media interviews regularly. I don't think the issue is being able to find him,' Johnston said, adding that the indictment doesn't represent a threat to Chérizier since he lives in Haiti. 'It's hard to see how it'll have much of an effect.' A policeman turned gang leader Chérizier is a former elite police officer who was fired in December 2018 and was later accused of organizing large-scale massacres in the slums of Grand Ravine in 2017, in La Saline in 2018 and in Bel-Air in 2019. More than 100 people were killed in the massacres, which Chérizier has denied organizing. 'Haiti is a hotspot right now … there is incredible violence going on there,' U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Tuesday, calling La Saline killings 'notorious because (Chérizier) both planned and participated' in the slaughter. In June 2020, Chérizier created the ' G9 Family and Allies,' an alliance that grew from nine gangs in lower Delmas and the Cite Soleil and La Saline slums to include more than a dozen gangs, according to a U.N. Security Council report. The alliance was blamed for the killings of some 145 people in Cite Soleil and the rape of multiple women. In December 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department issued civil sanctions against Chérizier and others accused of being involved in the massacres. The G-9 alliance later became part of the Viv Ansanm gang federation created in September 2023 that saw the merging of Haiti's two biggest gangs that were once bitter enemies: G-9 and G- Pèp. Since then, the federation has taken control of 90% of Port-au-Prince. It launched multiple attacks on key government infrastructure in February 2024 and raided Haiti's two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates. It also forced Haiti's main international airport to close for nearly three months. The surge in violence led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who was locked out of his country while on an official visit to Kenya. The gang federation continues to attack once peaceful communities in Port-au-Prince, and it is accused of helping gangs in Haiti's central region. 'We want to change everything' Also indicted is Bazile Richardson, whom officials say is a naturalized U.S. citizen from Haiti who grew up with Chérizier and lives in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Both are accused of leading a 'wide-ranging conspiracy' by directly soliciting money transfers from members of the Haitian diaspora to raise funds for Chérizier's gang activities in Haiti, according to the indictment. It stated that the money was used to pay the salaries of gang members and buy weapons from illegal dealers in Haiti. Most of the firearms are smuggled in from the U.S. since Haiti does not produce weapons. According to the indictment, there are two other unnamed co-conspirators from Haiti who live in New York and Massachusetts, and five others who live in Haiti. Chérizier could not be immediately reached for comment. It was not immediately clear if Richardson had an attorney. The indictment noted that Chérizier and Richardson have acknowledged the sanctions against Chérizier, adding that the alleged conspiracy began around December 2020 and continued through January of this year. One voice memo that an unidentified co-conspirator in Haiti allegedly sent to Richardson stated: 'If I have backup, we will take the power, and you will be able to come back to your country. You will need to serve in the new government.' Richardson forwarded the alleged memo to Chérizier in June 2022, nearly a year after former President Jovenel Moïse was killed at his private residence. Another person identified only as a Haitian co-conspirator allegedly sent a voice memo to Richardson saying, 'we want to start a revolution in Haiti and are trying to collect funds.' Part of the plan was to have 1,000 individuals give $20 each or 1 million Haitians abroad give $1 each, as well as collect money from 1,000 people for each of Haiti's 10 regions, according to the indictment. 'With this money, they can buy pick-up trucks, weapons, ammunition, clothing to include T-shirts, boots and hats. We want to change everything in Haiti,' according to one alleged voice memo. In June 2021, Chérizier held a press conference announcing the start of a revolution. A crackdown on violence The indictment comes as gang violence continues to surge in Haiti's capital and beyond, with gunmen kidnapping an Irish missionary and seven other people, including a 3-year-old, from an orphanage earlier this month. The office of Haiti's prime minister did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the indictment. Johnston said the broader strategy in the fight against gangs remains unclear. 'It does seem like there's sort of an escalatory framework happening both in Haiti and the U.S.,' he said. 'Where does that actually go?' Darren Cox, acting assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division, said the bureau's Miami office is leading the effort to apprehend Chérizier. 'The FBI is focused more than ever on crushing violent crime,' Cox said. 'There is no safe haven for them, or the people like them.'
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Lawsuit of Natick couple harassed by eBay can go to trial, judge rules
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Barring a settlement, the four-year-old lawsuit could go to trial later this year or early next year. Saris has repeatedly said at hearings that she wants to complete the proceedings as soon as possible. Advertisement Wenig, who received $57 million of severance when he left the company a month after the Steiners were harassed, was not criminally charged in the case and has said he did not know about the effort to terrorize the couple and would have stopped it if he had. Attorneys for the eBay and Wenig did not immediately offer comments on the ruling, which was issued after business hours. Advertisement In a statement, Andrew Finkelstein, a lawyer representing the Steiners, said the couple looked forward to a trial. 'The jury will be asked to fully and fairly compensate the Steiners for being subjected to eBay's terror campaign that attempted to silence their free speech rights, and to punish eBay for their egregious actions,' he wrote. In the ruling, Saris wrote that a jury would need to decide if the company was responsible for approving the actions of lower-level employees who conducted the harassment, a legal issue known as ratification. Based on text messages and alleged conversations, Saris determined a jury could find that eBay's former chief communications officer, Steve Wymer, may have 'ratified the conduct' of former security official Jim Baugh, the for his role. A jury would also need to decide whether Wenig, Wymer, and another former executive named Wendy Jones were negligent in supervising Baugh or participated in a conspiracy against the Steiners, Saris ruled. Those claims could be critical to the case because Saris ruled last year that the Steiners could seek punitive damages — $467 million of the amount they are seeking — only if they prevailed on charges of emotional distress or conspiracy. In her Tuesday ruling, Saris also trimmed some of the roughly $62 million the Steiners are seeking for other damages. Saris also dismissed charges that the company had defamed the couple. The judge also dismissed charges against a Nevada-based security contractor that worked for eBay called Progressive Force Concepts. Aaron Pressman can be reached at
