Michael Mastromarino, a former oral surgeon who owned Biomedical Tissue Services, on Thursday told victims of the scheme he was sorry for the pain and grief he caused. The New Jersey company shipped bones, skin and tendons to tissue processors.

Mastromarino was in court for a sentencing hearing but the sentencing was postponed because the probation report wasn't finished. He is to be sentenced later in June.

Victims of the scheme called Mastromarino ‘greedy’ and ‘heartless’ and asked that he be sentenced to the maximum 54 years.

In March, Mastromarino admitted he ran the macabre operation from 2001 to 2005. He pleaded guilty to charges of enterprise corruption, body stealing and reckless endangerment.

Three others who worked at Mastromarino's medical firm were charged, as were funeral home directors in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The bodies were carved up without permission and were not medically screened. They were sold around the country for dental implants, knee and hip replacements and other procedures. About 10,000 people received tissue supplied by BTS.