Former funeral home worker charged with stealing gold teeth from bodies

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Former funeral home worker charged with stealing gold teeth from bodies | Fox News

A former funeral home worker in California has been charged with picking through the mouths of the dead to steal gold teeth.

Prosecutors allege that Pete Jacob Lara, a 39-year-old who worked as an embalmer at a funeral home in Lancaster, was behind a string of thefts between June 25, 2012 and Oct. 28, 2013.

They say he took teeth, a cremation urn box and medallions used to decorate urn boxes worth more than $1,000 and pawned them off, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports.

Lara has been charged with removal or possession of dental gold from human remains, grand theft by embezzlement and possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, KTLA reports, citing the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office.

Lara pleaded not guilty in court on Wednesday and will return on Nov. 12.

 

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[pat-tekker-cat]

Surprisingly, this doesn't come as a shock.
Big money in pieces parts, unfortunately.

 

[hvacker]

I'm not surprised ether. But it's not like taking part of the person's body. And the person won't need teeth anymore. Maybe the funeral home could offer a reclaim. Like $$ for teeth campaign. Maybe a discount. A recycle opportunity.
I wonder what a gold tooth is worth. I found one as a kid but lost over time. It was fairly large like a good nugget.
This story makes me wonder how the person ever got caught. I doubt anyone checked the bodies.

 

[jeff of pa]

Sure Why Not If the Relatives don't want them

My understanding in the old days, if someone couldn't
afford Glasses or False Teeth they would stop by the Funeral Parlor downtown,
& root through all the glasses or teeth for some that would fit