Prosecutor said Michael Nash was given credit for admitting crime right away.
MIchael A. NashSPRINGFIELD – Michael A. Nash immediately confessed to police when caught for breaking into an East Forest Park neighborhood convenience store in December.
In fact Nash even told police where they could find the cash register he had taken from Friendly Market at 158 Island Pond Road after kicking out a window on Dec. 16 at about 1:45 a.m., Assistant District Attorney Richard B. Morse said Thursday.
Morse told Hampden Superior Court Judge Peter A. Velis that was one of the reasons he agreed to a four to five year state prison sentence for Nash, 34, even though Nash now has 10 convictions for breaking and entering.
Nash, of 16 Melrose St., pleaded guilty to breaking and entering in the nighttime for a felony and larceny from a building.
Morse said police looked at surveillance video from the store, which was closed at the time of the break, and put out a description of the man who broke into the store. Police found him near the CVS at 600 State St.
When questioned about why the sentence recommendation was not higher, Morse said the recommendation doubles the time Nash did last time he was convicted. Morse said many defendants only plead guilty on the eve of trial and there needs to be some acknowledgment of defendants who admit right away what they did.
Defense lawyer Susan Hamilton told Velis Nash got along for some time working and not getting into trouble, but then he fell back into the trap of drugs.
Velis said to Nash, “Sir, 10 times. Looking at 11?” Nash said no to that.