Being repentant helps if you're trying to get a lesser sentence. Pleading guilty and being proud of it ... probably less so.

You __hope__ to get one. If there's no plea bargain on the table, you're likely screwed.

I'd say it's probably accurate to say that you're almost-completely screwed if you are even in a scenario where you have to consider a plea bargain, of course.

Why not roll the dice and go not guilty then?

Guilty: 5-10 years

Not Guilty: 0 - 100 years

(These numbers totally made up, just to illustrate a point)

But it said he got the maximum sentence? It doesn't say in the article, but maybe there were other charges dropped in exchange for him pleading guilty to the one?

He got the maximum with his plea bargain, without a bargain it could have been higher.