FARMINGTON — A New Sharon man pleaded guilty to felony charges as part of an agreement Friday in Franklin County Superior Court. Sentencing will take place in November.
Todd Welch, 30, faced charges of burglary, theft by unauthorized taking or transfer and unlawful possession of an illegal drug. Three misdemeanor charges were dismissed under the agreement.
Welch was one of two charged in the Sept. 8, 2010, break-in at the Farmington Police Department’s storage garage. The majority of 1,029 pot plants gathered the day before in Phillips and stored in the locked evidence building on Route 2 in Farmington were taken.
Police recovered remnants of the stolen marijuana plants, which had been stashed at a Box Shop Road residence in Farmington and another location in New Sharon.
If the case had gone to trial, the state would have counted on the testimony of co-defendant Joshua Allen, 26, also of New Sharon, James Andrews, assistant district attorney, told the court.
The sentencing was set for Nov. 18, giving Welch time to complete a rehabilitation program in Portland and provide reason for Justice Michaela Murphy to sentence him to less than 14 months.
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