MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) - A man has agreed to plead guilty to murder charges for the death of a homebuilder who was beaten and bound during a robbery at his home near Muncie.

A plea agreement calls for 36-year-old Michael W. Johnson of Noblesville to face a prison sentence of up to 50 years if a judge accepts the deal. The standard sentence for murder is 55 years.

Johnson admitted during a court hearing that he another man broke into the home of Tim Rees in March 2006, planning to rob Rees and tied up him and his girlfriend, who survived. Johnson said he never intended to kill Rees.

A Delaware County judge set sentencing for Dec. 23.

The other man charged in the death is set to stand trial in April.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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