ELKTON — A North East man accused of stealing a vehicle — which was occupied by a dog — while the owner was inside an Elkton-area convenience store and of later illegally arming himself with a handgun is facing up to 10 years in prison after accepting a plea deal on Monday, according to Cecil County Circuit Court records.
The defendant — John David Matthew Wells, 25 — pleaded guilty to unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and to illegal possession of a regulated firearm, court records show. Each of those offenses carries a maximum five-year sentence.
In exchange for his guilty pleas, prosecutors dismissed 20 related criminal and traffic charges against him, including loaded handgun on person, loaded handgun in vehicle, possession of a controlled and dangerous substance and attempt by driver to elude an officer in an official police vehicle, according to court records. The latter two charges relate to allegations that Wells possessed a small amount of methadone and that he triggered a vehicular police chase…