Teen withdraws guilty plea, gets trial for Metra station robbery

After learning he'd probably be facing a stiffer sentence than he first anticipated, a Crystal Lake man who previously admitted beating a man with a brick during a robbery attempt was allowed Thursday to withdraw his guilty plea.

Kenneth S. Nepras, 18, instead will take his chances at trial on charges of attempted armed robbery and aggravated battery stemming from an Oct. 17 incident in which, police said, he hit a man in the face with a brick and tried to take his money at a Metra station in Woodstock.

Nepras had pleaded guilty to the allegations in February after his lawyer, a prosecutor and McHenry County Judge Joseph Condon met outside court to discuss the sentence he would likely receive if he admitted to the charges.

Those expectations changed, however, when a pre-sentence investigation into Nepras' background showed a more serious criminal history than initially believed.

"What (sentence) was contemplated changed," Nepras attorney Richard Kelly said. "There were things that came up and all parties agreed that vacating the plea and setting the case for trial was in everyone's interests."

Among the issues that arose was that Nepras was found guilty of misdemeanor battery three times between February and August 2009 and has two more misdemeanor battery charges pending against him, according to McHenry County court records.

He now is scheduled to go to trial on Aug. 16 on the robbery and aggravated battery charges.