BELFAST – The man who held up the Country Bargains store in Winterport this winter wanted to go to prison. The judge sent him to jail.

Joshua Roberts, 21, of Orrington pleaded guilty to the Feb. 28 armed robbery in Waldo County Superior Court on Thursday.

Justice Nancy Mills sentenced him to three years in prison with all but five months suspended and one year’s probation. He also was ordered to perform 300 hours of community service, to write a letter of apology to his victim and was advised never to set foot in Country Bargains again.

During the sentencing Roberts told Mills he would rather be sent to the Maine Correctional Center in Windham than the Waldo County Jail. He said he didn’t like the time he spent in jail after his arrest and felt there would be more opportunity to do things in prison.

“There’s a lot more stuff to do at Windham,” he said. “There’s much more activity and time goes by faster. … I truly want to go there because I know that the time goes by faster.”

Justice Mills replied that she could not grant Roberts his wish. She said inmates at the county jails have more options once they are convicted and sentenced. The time he was held after being charged was different, she said.

“Based on all the things I have read and the victim’s input, I am not sending you to the Department of Corrections,” she said.

Roberts apologized for the robbery and said it was all a mistake. The robbery took place shortly after noon on a bitter cold day. Roberts’ car had stalled a short distance down Route 1A from the store and he went there to use the phone. He was bundled up against the cold and wearing a ski mask. He also had a 9 mm pistol in his pocket.

When the clerk refused to let him use the phone, Roberts wrote a note saying, “Give me your wallet and no one will get hurt.” The clerk again refused and Roberts left the store. Unknown to Roberts, the clerk had a gun behind the counter. Roberts was picked up by Hampden police shortly after fleeing the store.

“You are a 21-year-old and this was a big mistake,” said Mills. “I agree … that things could have gotten out of hand because everyone had a firearm.”

Mills reiterated that she would not send Roberts to prison. She took into account his remorse for the crime and the fact that he had a clean record.

“I’m not sending you down to that environment so you can have more opportunity to go to the library or something,” she said. “You’ll find it’s not the activities, it’s the people. I don’t want you to spend several months in that environment. If you continue to commit crimes you can graduate into that, but you are not ready now.”