AUGUSTA — A young city man pleaded guilty Thursday to 26 charges related to burglaries of motor vehicles and thefts.

Robert W. Metcalf, 22, will be able to withdraw the guilty pleas to the 14 felonies, and those charges will be dismissed if he remains out of trouble for the next 19 months.

The other convictions, all misdemeanor crimes, will stay under the plea agreement between the state and Metcalf’s defense attorney, Scott Hess. The agreement was approved Thursday in Kennebec County Superior Court by Justice Daniel Billings.

“You are getting a very positive outcome for you for a very negative series of events you were involved in,” Billings told Metcalf as he encouraged him to “do everything you need to get a good outcome.”

Should Metcalf fail to comply with a series of conditions while on the 19-month deferral, Billings warned him he could be looking at a state prison sentence for the felony offenses.

Assistant District Attorney Frayla Schoenfeld said the agreement at least partially was based on Metcalf’s youth and that he was accompanied on these crime sprees by a codefendant who was “significantly older” and that Metcalf cooperated with police and help confessed to some crimes for which there had been no suspects.

His attorney said Metcalf immediately accepted responsibility for his acts.

Metcalf pleaded guilty to three counts each of burglary of a motor vehicle and theft by unauthorized taking which occurred June 24, 2013, and eight counts of burglary of a motor vehicle, three counts of burglary, and nine counts of theft by unauthorized taking which occurred July 19, 2013, all in Augusta.

Schoenfeld told the judge that a homeowner had seen Metcalf and Kevin Tardiff in his garage and followed them as they walked down the road. When they went into the woods, he called police.

Schoenfeld said the two allowed police to search their belongings and among those were several GPS devices, cellphone chargers, a wallet, 20 pounds of loose change, a knife and binoculars taken from various vehicles along the road.

“The quantity of change in this case was very unusual,” she said on Thursday. Tardiff, 43, of Augusta recently was sentenced two weeks ago to five years in prison, with all but nine months suspended and two years probation.

In the meantime, Metcalf was sentenced to 30 days in jail for the other crimes and ordered to pay restitution of $1,116. Tardiff is to contribute toward $730 of that. A special condition of the deferred disposition requires Metcalf to complete 80 hours of community service or make an $800 donation to a charity.

A number of other people were sentenced in separate hearings this week in Kennebec County Superior Court:

• Matthew R. Bradley, 29, of Gardiner, operating while license suspended or revoked July 24, 2013, in Gardiner; 10 day alternative sentencing program, $500 fine.

• Nicole S. Clement, 30, of Clinton, operating after habitual offender revocation Oct. 10, 2013 in Waterville; 60 day jail sentence, $500 fine.

• Diane Collins, 56, of West Newfield, operating under the influence July 6, 2013, in Winthrop; $500 fine and 90 day license suspension.

• Wayne Nathaniel Foster, 36, formerly of Waterville and now of Springfield, Mass., unlawful furnishing of heroin and/or crack cocaine Nov. 21, 2013, in Waterville; three year jail sentence, all but eight months suspended, two years’ probation, $515 fine; two charges of aggravated drug trafficking and one of criminal conspiracy dismissed.

• Robert J. Lachance, 25, of Augusta, operating while license suspended or revoked Sept. 13 in Augusta; 10-day alternative sentencing program, one-year license suspension.

• Gerald M. McNeal, 28, of Brunswick, violating protective order April 20 in Augusta; 48-hour jail sentence, credit for time served.

• Brandon W. Sanford, 31, of Skowhegan, trafficking in heroin Dec. 4, 2013, in Waterville; five year prison sentence, all but one year suspended, two years probation, $400 fine.

• Lance K. Wallace, 32, of Augusta, criminal restraint Feb. 7 and burglary, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer and criminal mischief Feb. 29 in Augusta; four year jail sentence, all but nine months suspended, two years probation, $100 restitution.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams

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