A Johnson City man has been convicted of murder and arson in connection with a blaze that killed two young boys in the village.

40-year-old Dwight Burton was found guilty following a non-jury trial in Broome County Court.

Judge Joseph Cawley announced the verdict Thursday morning. He set sentencing for September 14.

Three-year-old Michael Maxwell and his four-year-old brother, Joshua Maxwell, died in the fire that ripped through the upper portion of an apartment house at 145 Floral Avenue. The blaze was reported just before 2 a.m. on October 19, 2015.

27-year-old Erica Kurtz, the mother of the boys, and her friend, 28-year-old Jessica Baxter, were seriously injured as a result of the fire.

The prosecution contended Burton set the fire with the intent of killing Baxter, a former girlfriend.

Testifying during his trial, Burton maintained he was not responsible for the blaze.

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