The ‘good doctor’ accused of illegally plundering corpses and selling body parts for different transplants agreed to plead guilty on next Tuesday’s trial, according to his lawyer. Former dentist Michael Mastromarino was accused of starting a multimillion dollar business from carving up corpses at a Brooklyn funeral home and selling parts for dental implants, hip replacements and other similar procedures.

The scandal broke out two years ago, when the business that had already spread on two continents came to the attention of Brooklyn district attorney’s office. Apparently, over 20,000 body parts had already been sold for transplant in the 4 years since the business had started, and reached patients all over the U.S., Canada and even Europe.

The body part-snatcher, now 44, who faced the rest of his life in prison, agreed to plead guilty after consulting with his lawyer, and is now likely to receive a minimum of 18 years for body parts illegal traffic. According to the prosecutors, Mastromarino had no authorization whatsoever to intermediate such transplants, and he exposed an unknown number of patients to the risk of infection.

In 2006, the former dentist and his associates have been charged with enterprise corruption, body stealing, opening graves, unlawful dissection and forgery, after trying to cover their tracks by sewing the bodies before the caskets were to be opened at the funeral.

But Mastromarino’s head will not be the only one to fall, as investigators are expected to make an inquiry on the buyers of the stolen body parts, who according to the former dentist’s lawyer, became quite regular costumers, encouraging him to ‘keep up the good work’.

The head of the illegal multimillion dollar vicious circle now awaits for his trial in prison, facing a punishment that could stretch from 18 to 54 years. His chief assistant, Lee Cruceta, also pleaded guilty and faces 8 years in prison, while the other business partners’ processes are still pending.