Kansas man accused of performing illegal autopsies, offering COVID-19 tests: Officials

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WTKR) -- A Leawood, Kansas man has been barred from conducting any business associated with the human body in Kansas for "more than a year" after failing to follow state requirements for autopsies and offering in-home COVID-19 testing.

Shawn Parcells, 37, faces 14 alleged violations of the Kansas False Claims Act and Kansas Consumer Protection Act and three civil lawsuits, the office for Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced Tuesday.

Parcells performed autopsies through a contract with Wabaunsee County without a licensed pathologist present and in violation of Kansas law, according to a court filing.

TRUE CRIME DAILY: Coronavirus-related crime coverage - TCD

The Kansas Attorney General's Office learned Parcells formed new businesses -- building websites and promoting them on social media -- "that offered consulting services for coronavirus and COVID-19."

"Parcells was offering to enter homes and businesses, perform swabs for purported coronavirus testing and examine deceased persons to determine if they were positive for COVID-19," Schmidt's office said in a release. "Parcells was quoted in media reports stating he had been contacted by two families in New York for COVID-19 testing on deceased family (members)."

Parcells also faces pending criminal charges filed by Schmidt's office in Wabaunsee County District Court.