4 in alleged suicide network are charged

ATLANTA - Four members of an alleged assisted suicide ring were charged yesterday with helping a 58-year-old north Georgia man end his life, authorities said.

Investigators in eight other states are also probing the Final Exit Network, whose website said it is "dedicated to serving people who are suffering from an intolerable condition."

Two group members, both over age 60, were arrested yesterday at a north Georgia home after a sting operation in which an undercover agent posed as a member of the group, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.

Along with two men from Baltimore, the four group members were charged with assisted suicide, tampering with evidence, and a violation of Georgia's anti-racketeering act.

Their charges stem from a man's death in June 2008 after he inhaled helium.

Group vice president Jerry Dincin said the network started in 2004 and has more than 3,000 dues-paying members. He called the arrests ridiculous.