Attorney: Rosemont body donation company cooperating with FBI
The attorney for Biological Resource Center of Illinois said Wednesday the firm is cooperating with a federal investigation after raids at its Rosemont offices and Schiller Park crematorium Tuesday.
Investigators with the FBI, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state of Arizona executed search warrants at both locations: the Biological Resource Center's offices at 9501 W. Devon Ave. in Rosemont and at Cremation Services Inc. at 9329 W. Byron St. in Schiller Park.
Records show the businesses are owned by the same person.
Biological Resource Center "acts as a 'bridge' between those individuals who donate their body and the medical research and education community in the United States," according to its website.
While FBI officials said only that the raids involve an ongoing criminal investigation, it appeared their investigation was related to two previous out-of-state cases involving body donation firms.
In January 2014, federal investigators raided the Biological Resource Center of Arizona.
A month before, authorities conducted a similar raid at International Biological in Detroit.
No criminal charges have been filed against either company.
In a statement emailed to the Daily Herald Wednesday by the firm's attorney, Dave Weisman, Biological Resource Center of Illinois officials referred to the Arizona and Michigan firms as former "business associates."
Even though the Rosemont and Arizona companies share the same name, records show they have different owners.
"We are aware that the two organizations have been under investigation for several months, and we are cooperating with authorities to better understand the issues and provide all requested information to assist in their investigation," according to the statement.
The company said it will continue to exercise "the highest level of integrity and standard of care, as we have done over the last two decades."
Biological Resource Center is one of several businesses that leases space in the village hall. Mayor Brad Stephens said Wednesday the company has been there for a few years.
He said federal authorities notified the village's public safety department Tuesday morning of the impending raid.