PHILADELPHIA, July 10 (UPI) -- Dr. Kermit Gosnell, already serving three life terms in Pennsylvania for killing babies in late-term abortions, has pleaded guilty to federal drug charges.
Gosnell faces up to 30 years for illegally prescribing drugs such as oxycodone, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. But the 72-year-old doctor was already almost certain to spend the rest of his life in prison.
At Tuesday's hearing, Gosnell agreed to surrender $200,000 federal investigators say was made by running a "pill mill." Sentencing was scheduled for October.
Gosnell was convicted at trial of killing babies who survived late-term abortions. He agreed to give up his appeals in return for taking the death penalty off the table.
Federal prosecutors say Gosnell, under cover of a "pain management" specialty, prescribed oxycodone, a generic version of Xanax, and cough syrup containing codeine. During a drug raid on his West Philadelphia clinic in 2010, investigators discovered fetal remains, leading to an investigation of his abortion practice.
