MedtoMarket CEO charged in connection with investigation in 'experiments' on corpses

AUSTIN, Texas - The CEO of MedtoMarket has been charged in connection with an investigation into alleged "experiments" on corpses and fraudulently obtained death certificates at a North Austin mortuary.

53-year-old Aaron Ali has been charged with state jail felony abuse of a corpse without legal authority and third-degree felony aggravated perjury.

Ali is also the chair of the State Anatomical Advisory Committee, which was established to advise and provide expertise on the regulation and operation of willed body programs, non-transplant anatomical donation organizations, and anatomical facilities, according to the Texas Health & Safety Code.

The committee is under the purview of the Texas Funeral Services Commission and was created after the Anatomical Board of the State of Texas was abolished in 2023.

Ali surrendered himself voluntarily to authorities on Monday, April 28, and was released on bond the same day, according to his attorney.

What they're saying:

Ali's attorney Eric J.R. Nichols issued a statement to FOX 7 Austin:

"These charges are completely unfounded.

"To some degree, law enforcement investigators have to rely on information provided by others. In this case, it is clear that law enforcement has been provided with incorrect information.

"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. Anatomical facilities, which are authorized by Texas law, serve the purpose of allowing first responders, physicians and other health care providers to train using such donated tissue in order to save lives and heal others.

"Dr. Ali’s long career is 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. He is also a responsible and active Travis County citizen and previously served in the United States Army Reserves.

"We look forward to the opportunity to work with law enforcement and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office to ensure that these charges are handled responsibly from this date forward. We believe that these meritless charges should be resolved in the near future."

Charges against Ali

Warning: Details of the investigation are included below and may be disturbing to some.

What we know:

Ali's charges stem from an investigation into Adeline Bui, an employee at Capital Mortuary Services, a North Austin mortuary, who allegedly had been experimenting on "separated anatomical structures," namely the arms of an unknown dead person.

The "experiment," according to court documents, involved injecting formaldehyde into the arms and observing its effects over time on the severed limbs.

Bui is also charged with fraudulently obtaining multiple death certificates using a former employee's identity.

Abuse of a corpse without legal authority charge

During the investigation into Bui, authorities interviewed Ali, who confirmed to them that he had a contract with Capital Mortuary Services for transport and cremation services. He said CMS would "help [them] out with dissection sometimes" but added that it was a long time ago.

Ali told authorities he did not have an embalming license, but those at CMS did. He also denied any "experimental testing" but confirmed CMS was embalming arms to see how long they could preserve them. He denied that any "experiment" happened and referred to it as embalming, court paperwork said.

Ali said the arms were evaluated over the course of a couple of months and denied going to the mortuary to see the testing done. 

The Texas Funeral Service Commission told APD it was "unlawful for a commercial embalming establishment to use a dead human body for research or education purposes," when asked if there was "any possible legal way" for MedtoMarket to grant authority for experiments on remains obtained from them.

Aggravated perjury charge

Ali is also facing an aggravated perjury charge connected to his recent testimony to the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.

Ali was testifying during a hearing on Senate Bill 2721, which pertained to the licensing and regulation of persons who provide mortuary services and proposed creating a criminal offense, increasing the punishment for an existing criminal offense and expanding the application of a fee, according to the bill's summary.

During his testimony, Ali confirmed he was the CEO of MedtoMarket and identified it as "a state-approved anatomical facility." He also told state senators that the only bodies his company accepts are "authorized consenting individuals." When asked if all training takes place within their facility, Ali said "our facility does just our facility, period, because we have full control of it."

The court documents say Ali's knowledge and request for the testing at CMS was contrary to that of his testimony. 

Authorities also uncovered a time-stamped document that Ali agreed to before testifying which stated that he was swearing an oath to tell the truth and that he was affirming that his testimony "under penalty of perjury" was true and correct.

In Texas, it becomes aggravated perjury when someone commits perjury during or in connection with an official proceeding and its material.

What's next:

Ali is scheduled to appear in court on May 19.

Crime and Public SafetyAustin