AUBURN — A local man accused of stealing pot from a store and assaulting two workers backed out of a plea deal Wednesday.

William Self submitted photo

William C. Self, 26, was in Androscoggin County Superior Court for sentencing on charges of felony burglary charge and misdemeanor assault.

Prosecutors and defense had agreed on a sentence of three years in prison, but the longest Self would have had to serve behind bars would have been one year. The defense was allowed to argue for a shorter period of incarceration.

He would have been on probation for two years after his release.

That argument was scheduled to take place Wednesday.

If Self’s sentencing had been held, charges of robbery and stealing drugs that were brought by grand jury indictment would have been dismissed, according to the agreement.

While a burglary charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, the maximum sentence for a robbery conviction is 30 years in prison. The crime of stealing drugs is a misdemeanor.

If Self were to be convicted of robbery at trial, he could be sentenced up to 30 years in prison.

Before the sentencing hearing was held Wednesday, Self’s attorney, Jason Ranger, told Justice Jennifer Archer that his client had changed his mind and intended to withdraw his plea from a hearing last month.

He has three weeks to file that motion, Archer said.

Once that motion is filed, prosecutors will have two weeks to respond.

Archer said that Self’s case would be put on a trial list as soon as possible if she were to grant Self’s motion.

If she were to deny his motion, the court would schedule another sentencing hearing and Self should appear at that time court prepared to go to jail to start serving his sentence, Archer said.

Self has been free on his personal recognizance.

On March 2, 2023, shortly before 4 p.m., local police responded to the Cure Cannabis store at 32 Riverside Drive for a report of an assault, according to an affidavit filed by Patrol Officer John D. Chamberlain.

A male clerk told police that Self had come into the store and, while the clerk was helping him, Self started smoking a joint.

The clerk asked self to leave the store, Chamberlain wrote.

As Self left, he took with him two 3.5-gram bags of marijuana, the clerk told police.

The clerk followed Self out of the store; a female clerk also left the store in pursuit of Self.

Self punched the female clerk in the face. The male clerk then tackled Self to the ground for having punched the other clerk.

The female clerk recovered the stolen marijuana, according to Assistant District Attorney Nathan Walsh.

The male clerk tried to keep Self restrained until police arrived, but eventually let him go.

Police located Self on South Main Street and arrested him.