RELATED STORY: Rustburg man charged with arson in Wards Road fire
RUSTBURG — A man pleaded guilty to arson here Tuesday in the May burning of a Wards Road auto shop that cut phone service to scores of Campbell County residents and businesses.
Charles Chittum, 22, also pleaded guilty to one count of burglary with the intent to commit arson in Campbell County Circuit Court.
The fire at Discount Auto Service near Lynchburg Regional Airport was reported in the early hours of May 5, Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul McAndrews told the court.
McAndrews said Chittum admitted the arson, but Chittum claimed Discount Auto owner Ishmael Lunetta asked him to burn it down to collect insurance money.
“My life ain’t been nothing but hell since that store burned down,” Lunetta said in a phone interview after the hearing.
He said the 16-year-old business was doing well enough to leave him with enough money to buy the things he wanted for himself and his daughter.
“Now I’m struggling to pay my bills,” he said, in spite of insurance coverage.
He said he’d bought aluminum wheels from Chittum in the past, but later suspected him of selling stolen items and reported him to the sheriff’s office.
“I couldn’t get involved with people like that,” Lunetta said.
McAndrews said Chittum’s conspiracy claims couldn’t be proved.
U.S. 29 was closed for several hours while firefighters worked to get burning tires and petroleum products under control. The fire also severed communications lines, cutting some phone and cable services.
Phone service was disrupted at the airport, the county’s emergency services center and other government offices for much of the day.
Of the six utility companies whose property was damaged in the fire, McAndrews said he has a bill from just one — nTelos — for a little more than $8,000. He said he plans to seek restitution at Chittum’s Dec. 9 sentencing hearing.
Judge John Cook made a brief reference to Chittum’s recent criminal history while that hearing was scheduled. In August, Chittum was sentenced to a year in prison for burglary and three years probation for attempted burglary and two counts of possession of burglary tools.
He is scheduled to be sentenced on one count of possession of a Schedule I or II drug in Lynchburg Circuit Court next month.
Chittum faces maximum penalties of 20 years and 10 years for burglary and arson, respectively.
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