A 19-year-old man pleaded guilty yesterday to driving stolen cars without a license and has agreed to serve a prison term of 6 2/3 to 15 years.

Nathan Branco was on probation when he was arrested in December last year after a three-hour police pursuit that started in Waiau and ended in Halawa. He pleaded guilty to driving the stolen car that day as well as driving other stolen cars in January and February this year.

Because of his guilty pleas, Circuit Judge Steven Alm revoked his probation in earlier cases involving robbery and driving stolen vehicles.

As part of a plea agreement, Branco agreed to serve the prison term when he is sentenced for his guilty pleas and resentenced in his earlier cases.

Alm, however, indicated he may not go along with the agreement and may impose a harsher sentence, but Branco said he still wanted to plead guilty. Alm scheduled the sentencing for July 2.

"He wanted to take responsibility," Branco's attorney, Alexandra Scanlan, said about her client entering the agreement. "He said, 'I'm guilty. I'm going to take the consequences.'"

NAVY CLEANING UP DIESEL FUEL SPILL

The Navy is working with the state Department of Health to clean up the underground release of 359,000 gallons of diesel fuel used to power naval vessels, the Navy announced.

The spilled fuel does not pose any danger to the public or drinking water resources in the area, the Navy said, and none of the fuel leaked into Pearl Harbor.

On Wednesday, gauges on a fuel storage tank located at Pearl Harbor indicated that the fuel level in the tank was dropping.

Unable to detect any visible leak, workers discovered the fuel was draining directly into the ground.

The Navy is cleaning up the spill, using a variety of methods, including vacuum trucks.

NEW RATES FOR HI-5¢ RECYCLABLES

New rates for HI 5¢ beverage containers that are weighed at redemption centers statewide take effect today, and are expected to yield more cash to consumers, the Department of Health said.

Under the new rates: