BURLINGTON — Two men accused of setting a Northfield couple on fire in their apartment last week pleaded not guilty in federal court to a one count indictment alleging they conspired to rob the couple of drugs and money.
A grand jury handed up the indictment for Howard Hoisington and Johnathan Zampieri, both 33, on Monday. Also named in the indictment is a third accomplice, Tammy Wilder, 45, who is expected to be arraigned on the same conspiracy charge Tuesday.
The fire, set in the early morning hours of Dec. 15, killed 22-year-old Brittany Burt, and left her boyfriend Efren Serrano, 26, in critical condition with severe burns. Court documents show that Serrano told emergency responders that three people entered his home, doused him and his girlfriend with gasoline and lit them on fire.
Hoisington’s father told a confidential police informant his son, Zampieri and Wilder went to Serrano and Burt’s apartment intending to rob them of drugs and money, and “it went too far,” according to an affidavit filed with the court. In a recorded conversation, Hoisington’s father said dousing the couple in gasoline was a “fear tactic,” the affidavit shows.
Judge John Conroy ordered both Zampieri and Hoisington to be held while they await trial, because of the seriousness of the alleged crime and its “heinous violent” nature. Both men also have lengthy criminal records, and histories of drug use and mental illness.
Hoisington has six prior convictions for simple assault, four convictions for violating the terms of his release, and three felony convictions for escape. He was on furlough when the alleged conspiracy to commit robbery took place last week, Conroy said.
Zampieri has a domestic assault conviction and an assault to commit robbery conviction, Conroy said. He, too, has a felony conviction for walking away from furlough, according to the judge.
The U.S. Attorney’s office, which is prosecuting the case, has filed a motion for Wilder’s detention as well as citing her “regular use of crack cocaine” as the reason she should be considered a danger to the public and held while awaiting trial.
Judge Conroy set a March 22 deadline for filing pretrial motions in the case.
