Kenneth Law, the Ontario man accused of selling lethal substances online to people who later died by suicide, is expected to plead guilty to 14 counts of assisting suicide in a Newmarket, Ont. courtroom Friday.
It is anticipated the Crown will withdraw the 14 counts of first-degree murder against him.
Aiding suicide carries a maximum sentence of 14 years; first-degree murder carries automatic life with no parole for 25 years.
Law was arrested three years ago. Authorities allege he ran websites selling sodium nitrite and other self-harm items to victims in over 40 countries. The charges relate to 14 individuals aged 16 to 36.
The Crown had appealed a lower court ruling on whether a person could be liable for murder if they provided the means but did not "overbear the victim's freewill." Canada's Supreme Court declined to resolve the legal issue in December.
Britain’s National Crime Agency is investigating deaths linked to Law’s business. A New Zealand coroner also linked four deaths to his products.