Lawrence man pleads guilty to attempted robbery in the Oread neighborhood

A 20-year-old Lawrence man pleaded guilty Wednesday afternoon to two charges in connection with a February attempted robbery in Oread neighborhood.

Franklin J. Spottedtail entered pleas to attempted aggravated robbery and obstruction. Spottedtail was arrested early on Feb. 26, and prosecutors accused him of running up behind a 43-year-old man in the 1100 block of Tennessee Street and grabbing the man’s arms as a co-defendant, 18-year-old Vince Dubray, tried to use a handgun to rob him.

The robbery attempt failed as a police officer drove by, Spottedtail told District Judge Sally Pokorny on Wednesday. He said in his plea that he knew his co-defendant Dubray had a gun before the robbery.

Pokorny is scheduled to sentence Spottedtail at 11 a.m. June 6. Spottedtail remains in jail on $20,000 bond.

Defense attorney Hatem Chahine said he planned to argue for probation, but assistant district attorney Deborah Moody said prosecutors would ask Pokorny to give Spottedtail a prison term. Dubray’s case is pending.

Pokorny said Spottedtail could face anywhere from 31 months to 136 months in prison for the attempted robbery plea.