My1sttoday: Former NYC mortuary workers charged with stealing credit cards from deceased.
Two former New York City mortuary workers have been charged with stealing credit and debit cards from decedents whose bodies were being cared for at the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME).
Charles McFadgen, 66, and Willie Garcon, 50, are accused of going through the belongings of the deceased and using their bank cards to make thousands of dollars worth of purchases, according to court documents that were unsealed on Tuesday.
“As alleged, the defendants, as mortuary technicians employed by New York City’s OCME, had a solemn duty to care for the bodies of the deceased and treat their personal effects with the utmost respect. Instead, the defendants brazenly pilfered the belongings of the deceased, stole their property and enriched themselves by making unauthorized purchases worth several thousand dollars,” Acting U.S. Attorney Lesko said in a statement.
Authorities say McFadgen worked for the examiner’s office from 2003 to 2016 and made over $13,000 in unauthorized purchases using bank cards he stole from five different deceased people.
Garcon, who was employed from 2018 until 2020, made over $6,000 in unauthorized purchases, including a flight from Newark, N.J., to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with the credit and debit cards of four decedents, according to the New York District Attorney’s office.
Each defendant faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Garcon and McFadgen could not be reached for comment, and it was unclear if they have attorneys representing them at this time.
