The former Olympic and Michigan State doctor accused of sexually abusing upward of 140 gymnasts during the last 25 years is expected to accept plea deals on several criminal charges in the coming weeks.
Larry Nassar is scheduled to appear at a plea hearing Nov. 22 in Michigan's Ingham County, the home of Michigan State, where he has been charged with 15 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. The maximum penalty for that crime is life in prison.
Nassar is accused of seven more counts of the same charge in neighboring Eaton County. where he is scheduled to appear Nov. 29 for another plea hearing.
His attorney, Matthew Newburg, said he was unable to comment on any specifics but confirmed that Nassar has a plea scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Nassar, 54, pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges in July. He's scheduled to be sentenced in that case on Dec. 7, and court guidelines recommend he serve 27 years to 33 years and nine months in prison for his federal offenses.
A lawyer for women who testified against Nassar, including Rachael Denhollander, said Wednesday that he had not been advised there is a plea agreement.
"The AG's staff and Michigan state police have worked tirelessly to pursue justice for our clients,'' John Manly said. "We trust that they will continue that process. Our clients have complete faith in them and the judicial process.''
Jury selection for charges in Ingham County was expected to begin the first week of December. Nassar pleaded not guilty to those charges in February 2017. If Nassar pleads guilty to the state charges next week, as expected, his sentencing will likely occur sometime in mid-January.
Three Olympic medalists -- most recently three-time gold medalist Aly Raisman -- are among the many women who have publicly accused Nassar of touching them inappropriately when they visited him for medical help. The majority of Nassar's accusers say he used bare hands to penetrate their vaginas during massage treatments and used his power as an esteemed osteopathic doctor to continue assaulting young women for more than two decades.
More than 140 women have accused Nassar of abusing them under the guise of medical treatment in civil lawsuits. Many of those suits also name USA Gymnastics, Michigan State and specific employees from both entities as co-defendants.
USA Gymnastics cut ties with Nassar in the summer of 2015. He was fired from Michigan State in September 2016.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.