Supreme Court Justice Timothy P. Mazzei approved a plea bargain on Wednesday morning in the case of Darius Petty, 35, an East Hampton man accused of kidnapping and robbing three young men at knifepoint in the parking lot of the East Hampton Town Senior Center in September.
"They came back last night with a very, very good offer, I think, so we'll go from there," Mr. Petty's attorney, John Halverson, said, shortly before Mr. Petty was brought into the Riverhead courtroom.
Mr. Petty was charged last year with three counts of second-degree kidnapping, one count of second-degree robbery, and one count of first-degree attempted robbery, all violent felonies, and faced up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count, according to a press release issued by the District Attorney's Office after his arraignment on Sept. 18.
Per an agreement worked out between the parties this week, Mr. Petty pleaded guilty to a single count of second-degree attempted robbery in exchange for a sentence of three years in prison followed by five years of post-release supervision.
After formally entering his plea, Mr. Petty, who is being held in a Suffolk County correctional facility, asked Justice Mazzei to consider allowing him a "grace period" of a few days of supervised release before his sentence begins to deal with a personal matter involving his 10-year-old son.
Justice Mazzei at first denied the request, but after discussing the matter in chambers with attorneys from both sides stated that he would be willing to reconsider his decision when they reconvene for sentencing.
"If you do something stupid while you're out -- commit another crime, don't show up when you're supposed to -- I will sentence you to the maximum," Justice Mazzei warned Mr. Petty. "Do you understand that?"
"Yes I do, judge," Mr. Petty replied. He is due back in court for sentencing on July 29.
