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A 92-year-old San Diego woman who sold $40 suicide kits was sentenced to five years' supervised probation today for failing to pay taxes on her home business.
The judge ordered Sharlotte Hydorn, a retired school teacher, to work with the Internal Revenue Service to pay back the $25,000 she owes and tacked on a $1000 fine, according to the Associated Press.
Hydorn said that she was in business for three years and sold about 60 kits per month. She pleaded guilty to the tax charge, admitting that she made $66,717 in 2010 and paid no taxes on that.
Both the prosecution and defense were in favor of sentencing Hydorn with probation instead of a maximum term of one year in prison, according to the Daily News.
Court documents stated that she sold more than 1,300 kits worldwide. Each contained a hood, tubing and instructions on how to attach the lethal helium, which was not included. Hydorn claimed that she sold the kits to help people who were suffering and wanted to end their lives peacefully. Prosecutors argued that she took no measures to verify that her clients were sick or if they were minors acting without adult consent.
