New Jersey family says organ network sought body parts from relative who wasn’t a donor

Relatives of Keith Lott say a New Jersey organ donor procurement group attempted to harvest his organs even though state records showed he was not an active donor. The confrontation sparked a multi‑day standoff involving the family, hospital staff, and representatives from the NJ Sharing Network, according to NJ.com.

Keith Lott’s Sudden Death Prompts Donor Status Dispute

Lott, 47, tragically went into cardiac arrest while having intercourse with his wife on May 16, NJ.com reported. Paramedics performed CPR and shocked his heart several times before rushing him to Cooper University Hospital. Doctors placed him on a ventilator and later determined he was brain dead.

Lott had recently converted to Islam after getting married in 2023. During a 2025 license renewal, he revoked his organ‑donor status. His updated license showed he was not enrolled as a donor. Additionally, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission said donor‑status changes appear immediately in its system.

Nevertheless, NJ Sharing Network representatives arrived less than two hours after Lott was declared dead. The family says the organization allegedly told them they had the right to harvest his organs and argued that donor registration was a “lifetime contract,” relatives told NJ.com.

His mother, Minnie Lott, said the group “instructed the hospital” to keep her son on life support “solely for organ preservation.” She added, “I didn’t want his body opened up like that.”

Keith Lott Was Not An Organ Donor

Lott’s family said his religious conversion guided his decision to revoke his donor status. They also said he needed to be buried within three days, following Islamic tradition. Because of that, they objected to any organ removal and pointed to his updated MVC record.

Yet the NJ Sharing Network allegedly threatened legal action against the family and hospital administrators. Nurses told relatives they feared losing their jobs if they removed Lott from life support before the organization completed its process.

The standoff lasted several days. During that time, the family said the NJ Sharing Network continued to claim Lott’s earlier donor registration remained binding, despite his 2025 change.

Intervention Ends the Standoff

The conflict ended only after Lott’s niece, an intern for state Sen. Paul Moriarty, contacted the lawmaker’s office. Staff members told the hospital the procurement group’s actions were not legally supported. Within two hours, the NJ Sharing Network agreed to release the body.

Lott was buried three days later, in accordance with Islamic burial requirements.

According to NJ.com, the organization is under Congressional investigation for alleged fraud, cover‑ups, and improper practices.

Since this ordeal, New Jersey Senator Paul Moriarty has introduced a bill that requires organ procurement organizations to “access the latest” information available at the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC).