A Streator man who set fire to the New Brite Spot in Ottawa in 2023 admitted Friday to violating his probation. John F. Smith could go to prison this time.

Smith, 47, appeared Friday in La Salle County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to stealing more than $300 in merchandise from the Streator Walmart. He could face up to seven years for felony retail theft.

He also acknowledged violating his probation from the 2023 arson. According to open-court statements, Smith missed key appointments and failed a drug test. That admission reopens the possibility of prison time for arson (three to seven years) for setting fire to the New Brite Spot.

Smith entered a blind plea to retail theft and a blind admission to the probation violation. He will be sentenced at 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 29.

Smith’s legal problems began on April 15, 2023, when firefighters were dispatched to the New Brite Spot and the fire was quickly deemed suspicious. Smith pleaded guilty and, having no previous criminal history at that time, was sentenced to reporting probation plus special conditions.

But Smith failed to meet with probation officers, skipped required mental health appointments and flunked a drug test, according to open-court statements. He was charged with felony retail theft after Streator police caught him with stolen items, including a crossbow and arrows.