Ted Lilly avoids jail time in insurance fraud case
Former major league pitcher Ted Lilly is a free man and perhaps even a lucky man considering the hot waters he’s found himself in recently. According to the San Luis Obispo Tribune, the 39-year-old Edna Valley resident avoided felony charges and will also avoid jail time after working out a plea agreement in his insurance fraud case.
Lilly, who pitched for six different teams and earned an estimated $80.5 million during his 15-year career, faced up to five years in prison after being charged with three counts of felony insurance fraud by the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office in January. All of this over a $4,600 insurance claim for damages to his RV, which given his reported earnings would seem like a drop in the bucket.
It was alleged by the California Department of Insurance that Lilly damaged his RV, which is valued at around $210,000, but did not file a claim until after he purchased insurance on the vehicle. The department’s investigation revealed that Lilly received a $4,600 estimate from a local body shop on March 19, 2014, but did not purchase insurance until March 24. An insurance claim was reportedly filed on March 28.
Lilly originally pled not guilty to all three charges. However, Lilly’s attorney James Murphy entered a plea of no contest to a lesser misdemeanor count on Thursday. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors asked that the other charges be dismissed.
Lilly, who was not present for the proceedings, will pay a $2,500 fine, serve two years of informal probation and perform 250 hours of local community service. That latter must completed within the next 12 months.
In Lilly’s absence, his attorney read a prepared statement from Lilly which expressed regret and remorse for his action.
“I would like to apologize for the terrible error in judgment which has led to the present situation,” Lilly’s statement read. “My actions do not reflect the way I choose to live. I am very much determined to earn back a reputation of trust and transparency.”
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
