LANCASTER, Pa. — A York man will serve up to four years in prison after pleading guilty to starting a fire that damaged the Lancaster City Visitor Center last year.
Brandon S. Walburn, 32, of the 4500 block of Pleasant Valley Road, was sentenced to a prison term of 1½ to 4 years on Monday, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office.
Walburn admitted to starting a fire that caused $73,000 in damage to the Visitor Center, located on the first block of West King Street near Penn Square, on Dec. 12, 2021.
He pleaded guilty to arson – endangering property (a second-degree felony), criminal mischief and risking catastrophe (both third-degree felonies), and recklessly endangering another person (a second-degree misdemeanor) in connection to the incident.
In exchange for Walburn's guilty plea, the Commonwealth agreed to not prosecute the first-degree felony charge of arson – danger of death or bodily injury and third-degree felony charge of arson – recklessly place building in danger, according to prosecutors.
The plea agreement was arranged by Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman. Lancaster County Judge Thomas Sponaugle ordered sentence.
The fire was discovered at 3:02 a.m. on Dec. 12. Investigators determined it was started in a portable toilet next to the Center, according to prosecutors.
Firefighters extinguished the fire and discovered damage to the Visitor Center totaling $73,391.03. The portable toilet damages were estimated at $2,307.
Walburn must pay a total of $87,044.16 in restitution.
Lancaster City Bureau of Police Detective Toby Hickey filed charges and investigated the case, obtaining and analyzing video footage from multiple locations in downtown Lancaster to track Walburn as the person responsible for deliberately setting the fire, prosecutors said.
Walburn was identified as a suspect on Dec. 17, 2021, and turned himself in to authorities three days later.
