A plea agreement for a man accused of receiving drugs at the Glory Hold fell apart, and now the case is going to trial.

Stephen Morton Dabney, 61, appeared in Juneau Superior Court before Judge Philip Pallenberg Thursday for a ‘change of plea’ hearing.

But his attorney, public defender Eric Hedland, told the judge the plea agreement that had been reached was no longer in place, and he requested a new trial date.

Pallenberg rescheduled a three-day trial to begin in February.

Dabney is charged with felony second-degree drug misconduct, and if convicted, he could be facing up to 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors say he received a package that contained one ounce of heroin inside a Mr. Potato Head toy that was headed for the downtown shelter, according to charging documents. He was arrested Jan. 26 after law enforcement intercepted the package then conducted a controlled delivery.

Hedland says his client never opened the package and may not have known what was inside.
Dabney resided at the Glory Hole at the time of his arrest, and volunteered as the night shelter manager there to earn his keep.

• Contact reporter Emily Russo Miller at 523-2263 or at emily.miller@juneauempire.com.