Sep. 2—A Blakely man was sentenced to up to two years in the Lackawanna County Prison for his guilty plea to storing illegal fireworks and an unrelated drug charge.

John Bilski, 57, was charged in June 2022 with risking a catastrophe and other offenses after Olyphant police investigating an open back door at 129-131 W. Lackawanna Ave. in the borough found fireworks stacked almost to the ceiling.

Lackawanna County detectives arrested him again nine months later for selling buprenorphine, a prescription medication used to treat opioid dependence, to a confidential informant in Olyphant.

Bilski pleaded guilty in May to one count each of risking a catastrophe and delivery of a controlled substance. Lackawanna County Judge Andy Jarbola sentenced him Wednesday to nine months to two years in jail for the fireworks case and an additional one to two years for the drug case, to be served simultaneously with the fireworks case.

Bilski was also ordered to serve two years' probation, to refrain from drug and alcohol use and to undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation. He was ordered to report to jail Oct. 2

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