Former Funeral Director Jailed for Stashing Bodies in Storage Units

A former Boston funeral home director has been sentenced to prison for improperly storing the remains of human bodies inside self-storage units and operating a fraudulent business.

Joseph O’Donnell, of Mattapan, appeared in court Wednesday on charges he stole funeral deposits, improperly disposed of 12 bodies and operated a funeral business without a valid license.

O’Donnell, 57, pled guilty to the charges against him. A Suffolk Superior Court judge sentenced him to three to five years in prison. He was also given five years of probation.

O’Donnell stashed the human remains inside baskets and boxes at self-storage facilities in Somerville and Weymouth, prosecutors said. He also stole close to $150,000 in burial fees for services he failed to provide.

“Desperation led me to make terrible decisions. I never wanted any of this happen,” O’Donnell said in court Wednesday. “I’m truly sorry.”

On several other occasions, investigators said O’Donnell provided unknown cremated remains to families, saying they were the remains of a loved one.

O’Donnell’s funeral license expired in 2009, but he kept conducting business through 2013. He held 201 funerals during that time.