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Father in deadly fire on Benzinger Street in Buffalo pleads guilty

Posted at 3:50 PM, Aug 24, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-24 17:01:50-04

The Buffalo man who started a fire that killed his young son pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide in court Friday.

Joseph Conti, 54, admitted to starting the fire in his Benzinger Street home back in January. He said he lit a cigarette with a blowtorch and set it down on the bed. Conti's son Anthony, 7, died from smoke inhalation.

At the time of the fire, there was an order of protection filed against Conti by his wife. The order of protection stemmed from a harassment incident on New Year's Eve. 

Conti is scheduled to be back in court for sentencing in November. He faces a maximum sentence of six months in jail, followed by five years probation.

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