Man waives charges in one dozen arson cases
A former volunteer fireman accused of setting a dozen fires — most of them in Luzerne Township — waived all charges against him to court Monday.
State police fire marshals William Large and Thomas Maher said Michael David Wilson Sr., 43, of 945 Coal St., Merrittstown, was charged in April before Magisterial District Judge Mike Defino Jr. with 12 counts of arson that caused danger of death or bodily injury, 11 counts of arson with the intention of destroying an unoccupied building and one count reckless burning or exploding for 12 separate fires.
Wilson waived all charges against him to Fayette County Court during a preliminary hearing Monday afternoon before Defino.
Large alleged that on March 16 — three days after Wilson allegedly stole an ambulance in Connellsville in an unrelated incident — Wilson confessed to setting 10 unoccupied structures and one vehicle on fire. Police filed two additional charges against Wilson for a 12th fire in the weeks after his initial arrest.
Eleven of the fires occurred in Luzerne Township, and the remaining fire occurred in Redstone Township, police said.
Eleven of the fires occurred between Aug. 3, 2010, and Feb. 27 and the other blaze occurred in November 2009. Large said all the fires were set in the evening or early morning hours and said that no one was injured in any of the fires.
While he was no longer a volunteer firefighter when the fires were set, police said Wilson had been a member of Tower Hill 2 Volunteer Fire Department.
The string of arsons is not Wilson’s first encounter with police.
He pleaded guilty in Fayette County Court last month to charges including theft, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, receiving stolen property and driving under the influence of alcohol after he stolen ambulance from Highlands Hospital in Connellsville on March 13.
Connellsville police alleged Wilson was seeking treatment at the hospital when he walked outside shortly after 9 p.m. and stole the ambulance, which is owned by Fayette EMS.
The ambulance has an automated vehicle locator, and police were able to track the vehicle down on Route 201 about 30 minutes later. Wilson allegedly led police on a short chase, but they were able to stop him in Franklin Township.
He is scheduled for sentencing in that case Friday before President Judge Gerald R. Solomon.