Carnegie man sentenced in S. Strabane traffic stop
A Carnegie man was sentenced Tuesday on drug and gun charges stemming from a traffic stop in South Strabane Township Aug. 5, 2015.
William A. Tillar, 31, was sentenced by Washington County Court of Common Pleas Judge Michael J. Lucas to 11 to 22 years to be served in a state correctional facility, according to the office of Washington County District Attorney Gene Vittone. He was found guilty during a jury trial Jan. 12 of possession with intent to deliver, receiving stolen property, possession of a prohibited firearm, firearms not to be carried without a license, possession of drug paraphernalia and fleeing or attempting to elude an officer.
According to state police, Trooper Raymond Harding attempted to stop a car with a heavy window tint, burned out registration light and a license plate that was not listed as being registered to any vehicle.
Harding pulled behind the car on Route 19 at Interstate 70 west and followed it, remaining behind it as it got off on Jefferson Avenue and continued for several miles.
When the car stopped, Harding asked Tillar to exit the car. Officers from the city of Washington arrived on scene with a K-9 officer, which ran to an area of high grass. Officers found a semi-automatic pistol, a box containing cash and a plastic zip bag with two hundred stamp bags of heroin.
Vittone commended the work of Assistant District Attorney Rachel Wheeler, who was the lead prosecutor for the commonwealth.