CLEARFIELD – A Houtzdale man who threatened to pour kerosene on family members and set them on fire was sentenced during plea and sentencing court in Clearfield County.
Brian Elliott Burfield, 47, 1055 Hannah St., Houtzdale, an inmate of the jail, pleaded guilty to four counts of terroristic threats, and two counts of simple assault.
He was sentenced to 90 days to one year in jail and two years consecutive probation. He was fined $600 plus costs. He was ordered to complete anger management counseling and to have no contact with the victims.
He is not permitted to possess firearms or deadly weapons.
Prior to sentencing, Burfield made some comments that he had grown children in and out of his home that were drug addicts. He said they were stealing both food and money.
The charges stem from incidents in Woodward Township on Nov. 20, 21 and 22.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Nov. 20, Burfield threatened to pour kerosene on a family member, her two young children, and his brother. He said he would board up all the windows and then set them on fire. He stated that he hated all of the family and he was going to poison their food and drinks. He also said when he left the next morning he would get his firearms and kill them before killing himself.
On Nov. 21, he left the residence, and returned later with a handgun and shotgun.
He became verbally abusive to his family members. He punished a 4-year-old boy by putting him outside without adequate clothing when it was only 18 degrees. Burfield stated he did not want any of them there and he would not have any problems if they all died.
On Nov. 22 when a family member was on the phone asking someone to pick her and the children up, Burfield grabbed her hand and took the phone away. He then grabbed and ripped her hair out.
Burfield was seen in possession of explosives, including sticks containing ammonium nitrate. One family member told police Burfield kept explosives in his closet, attic, basement and possibly in his vehicle. She related that Burfield collects explosives and he had previously threatened her by saying that if she told anyone, he would kill her and her children.
Police spoke with a male who told them he had seen Burfield in possession of explosives. Burfield told him that he had anywhere from three to five pounds of nitrate, which was enough to blow up his house and the apartment building next door. He explained that if he was going to use it, he would pack a coffee can with the material, pour wax over them, roll the can in glue, and then wrap it with guitar strings with ball bearings around it. The male said he had seen Burfield in possession of two-inch long sticks and others that were six inches long. Burfield gave him two of these sticks in July.
A mental health warrant was applied for regarding Burfield on Nov. 23.
A Special Emergency Response Team was deployed at the residence according to a previous police report. After Burfield was taken into custody, police found several explosive devices, a rifle, a shotgun, two grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.