A 32-year-old woman pleaded guilty Wednesday in New London Superior Court to lighting a fire outside her ex-boyfriend's Voluntown home in September 2014.

Melissa Thompson of Charlestown, R.I., and formerly of Ledyard, will be sentenced June 18 to five years of probation for reckless burning. She pleaded guilty under the Alford Doctrine, which indicates she does not agree with the state's version of the crime but concedes there is enough evidence to convict her at trial.

Joseph Zonfrilli of 173 Preston City Road called state police after noticing the grass in his front yard was scorched and finding burnt matches on the ground, according to testimony and court documents.

Zonfrilli said he had been receiving "scam" messages on Facebook from somebody who claimed to know him and his current girlfriend.

Troopers went back to the house later after Zonfrilli reported that his door mat had been soaked with gas. The investigators found a burn trail from the bottom of the lawn toward the house.

Meanwhile, Thompson texted Zonfrilli, who had broken up with her months earlier, to say that she had overheard men at the Lisbon Wal-Mart store talk about plans to burn the house.

In an interview with state police, Thompson admitted she had poured gas along the concrete walkway and lit a match. She said she had created a fake Facebook account and sent Zonfrilli messages. She said she wanted to rekindle their relationship.

Thompson, who was working as a beverage server at Mohegan Sun at the time of her arrest, has been free on a $100,000 bond while her case was pending.

Under a plea agreement worked out between defense attorney Paul F. Chinigo and State's Attorney Michael L. Regan, she will be sentenced to five years in prison, fully suspended, followed by five years of probation.

Regan said a victim advocate contacted Zonfrilli about the proposed plea deal and his only request was that the court impose a protective order prohibiting Thompson from contacting him and that she get counseling.

k.florin@theday.com

Twitter: @KFLORIN