FARMINGTON — A West Paris woman pleaded guilty Monday to helping steal metal from an abandoned concrete plant in Phillips in November 2012.
Angelique Henderson, 34, one of four co-defendants in the case, pleaded guilty to felony charges of burglary and theft in Franklin County Superior Court.
Her attorney, Christopher Berryment, said it was an Alford plea.
According to a uslegal.com definition, it means the defendant does not admit the act, but admits the prosecution could likely prove the charge. The court will find the defendant guilty, according to the site.
Henderson, Shawn Michaud, 33, of Augusta, Robert E. Arris, 34, of Chelsea, and Jennifer Tripp, 38, of Readfield were all indicted on the same charges in January.
If the case went to trial, Franklin County Sheriff’s Deputy Matthew Brann would testify that on Nov. 14 he stopped a truck that appeared to be overloaded with metal, Assistant District Attorney Joshua Robbins told the court. Brann would also testify that he had the truck impounded for safety reasons, Robbins said.
County Detective David St. Laurent would testify that he contacted the owner of the former USA Concrete in Canada and was told that no one had permission to be on the property.
Brann would testify that he took an employee of the owners to the plant and then to a garage where the truck was impounded, and he identified the material in it as being from the concrete plant, Robbins said.
Among the items in the truck and trailer were concrete chutes, motors and other metal items.
Robbins said that co-defendant Robert Arris confessed to taking the metal and that Henderson helped load it in the vehicle, and that Shawn Michaud also admitted to being involved.
Berryment said his client disputes the intent to steal the items. She believed that they had permission to take the metal, but agrees that if the state’s evidence was presented, that she could reasonably be found guilty, he said.
The state and defense had reached an agreement on a 12-month deferred disposition. Justice Michaela Murphy accepted the agreement. Henderson is required to do 40 hours of public service under the agreement.
Henderson is not allowed to have contact with Michaud and Tripp. She is allowed to have contract with Arris, who she is engaged to, Robbins said.
If she completes all that is required, Murphy said she would come back on March 14, 2014, and be convicted of criminal mischief.
If Henderson breaks the agreement, she faces up to five years in jail for each of her two guilty pleas, Murphy said.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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