Appeal from a judgment of the County Court of Schenectady County (Giardino, J.), rendered June 29, 1998, convicting defendant upon his plea of guilty of the crime of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree.
In satisfaction of a four-count indictment, defendant pleaded guilty to the crime of criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree. Prior to sentencing, defense counsel made a motion to withdraw defendant’s guilty plea on the ground that, at the time he entered the plea, defendant erroneously believed he faced a potential 12-year prison term if convicted after trial. Defendant, in turn, made two pro se motions to dismiss the indictment alleging, inter alia, that his counsel did not adequately represent him. County Court summarily denied defense counsel’s motion to withdraw and dismissed defendant’s pro se motions without prejudice. Defendant was thereafter sentenced as a second felony offender to a prison term of IV2 to 3 years. He now appeals.
Defendant first contends that County Court improperly denied the motion to withdraw his guilty plea without a hearing. It is well settled that “[t]he decision to permit withdrawal of a guilty plea is a matter within the trial court’s sound discretion, and a hearing is required only where the record presents a genuine question of fact as to its voluntariness” (People v De Fabritis,
Mercure, J.P., Crew III, Spain and Kane, JJ., concur. Ordered that the judgment is affirmed.
