May 30, 2002 2 min read

A Normalville man said Wednesday in Fayette County Court that he just happened to have dropped off a friend who allegedly burned a van for insurance money. Wilbur Lilley Jr., who indicated he wanted to plead guilty to insurance fraud and criminal conspiracy, conferred a moment with his attorney, Kirk S. Sohonage, before amending his answer.

“I got $50 to drop him off,” said Lilley, 22.

“Did you forget that, just a minute ago?” asked Judge John F. Wagner Jr.

“No. I just didn’t understand what you wanted to know,” he replied.

Wager accepted Lilley’s guilty plea, and will sentence him to probation under the deal with prosecutors.

According to state police, Lilley drove Edward Firestone to pick up a van in the parking lot of Pechin’s Shopping Village in Dunbar Township.

Firestone, police allege, burned the van at the request of its owner around 6 p.m. on Feb. 8, 1999.

Inside the door of the van, police said, was $100, which Firestone split with Lilley.

Lilley was initially admitted to the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program in this case in January, 2001.

The term, according to court records was six months.

However, prosecutors filed papers requesting that he be removed from the program because he did not report to his probation officer, pay court costs or complete the mandated 50 hours of community service.

Although Lilley was given a three-month extension in August, prosecutors contended he still failed to follow the rules of ARD and a judge removed him from the program.

Had Lilley completed the program, his record could have been expunged.

At Lilley’s July sentencing, Wagner will determine how long a term of probation the Normalville resident will receive.