Former Head of UCLA's Willed Body Program Guilty

The former director of UCLA’s Willed Body Program pleaded guilty this week to conspiracy to commit grand theft in a body-parts-for-profit scheme and agreed to cooperate in the trial of his co-defendant, the District Attorney’s office announced.

Henry Reid, who was indicted by a Grand Jury in May with selling body parts to businessman Ernest Nelson, who then resold them to medical, pharmaceutical and hospital research companies, entered the plea before Judge Curtis Rappe. The 58-year-old Anaheim resident also pleaded to the special allegation that he damaged or destroyed property exceeding $1 million.

Under the negotiated plea, he will be sentenced to four years, four months in state prison, said Deputy District Attorney Marisa Zarate with the Major Fraud Division who is prosecuting the case. He also must pay restitution between $100,000 to $1 million to UCLA’s Willed Body Program. The amount will be determined later by the judge.

Reid was hired in May 1997 as director of UCLA’s Willed Body Program. According to the indictment, between May 7, 1999 and Feb. 26, 2004, Reid and Nelson conspired to defraud UCLA’s Willed Body Program of its donor bodies for personal financial gain. Reid allegedly sold human body parts from UCLA’s program to Nelson and deposited thousands of dollars into his personal bank account. In turn, Nelson allegedly made more than $1 million by selling the human cadavers and body parts supplied by Reid to more than 20 private medical, pharmaceutical and hospital research companies.

Reid and Nelson were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit grand theft and one count each of grand theft and grand theft of personal property. The indictment alleged the theft was more than $1 million.

Reid is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 30, 2009. The remaining counts will be dismissed at sentencing.