A Philadelphia man whom police identified as a pimp has pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in the 2013 death and dismemberment of a longtime customer he had tried to rob.

Thirty-five-year-old Keith Tolbert is scheduled to be sentenced Friday, one day after entering a plea as his trial was about to begin. A plea deal calls for a sentence of 22 to 44 years.

Police say the victim, 40-year-old Frank Zarzycki, arrived at a Philadelphia apartment to have sex with two prostitutes when Tolbert, their pimp, tried to rob him. Zarzycki fought back and was killed during the ensuing struggle.

Authorities say Tolbert used a hatchet to dismember the body. The victim's torso was found in the Schuylkill River.

The women have pleaded guilty to conspiracy and robbery and await sentencing.