A college freshman who was accused of taking historic letters and artifacts in the six months that he worked in the library at Drew University pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of theft of a cultural object from a museum.

The plea by William J. Scott was entered in federal court in Camden, N.J., before Judge Renee Marie Bumb of Federal District Court. Sentencing was set for April 15.

Because the theft involved museum-quality objects, it could result in a sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine as high as $250,000.

Mr. Scott was 18 when he was arrested last March, moments after being pulled off a bus of lacrosse players returning from spring training. He is no longer enrolled at the school, in Madison, N.J.