Two People Sentenced for Selling Illegal Fireworks in Washington State

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), conducted an investigation that resulted in two people being sentenced on federal felony and misdemeanor charges. These charges involve the manufacture and sale of illegal fireworks in Washington state. Certain kinds of explosives are often sold as ""fireworks,"" but are in fact banned under federal law.

U.S. District Court Judge John C. Coughenour sentenced 35-year-old Dean Fryberg, of Marysville, Wash., to one year in federal prison for illegally manufacturing and storing explosive materials without a license. Rodney Glenn Simpson, 36-years-old, of Marysville, Wash., was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison for dealing and distributing illegal explosives. Fryberg was involved in the manufacture of illegal fireworks known as M-80s, silver salutes and red bombs, and Simpson was involved in the sale of illegal M-80s, M-1000s, and other devices.

"These illegal explosives are small bombs," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. "They can maim and even kill. We are gratified that by imposing these sentences, the court has endorsed our strong stand against the manufacturing and sale of these deadly products."

The fireworks were sold at the Boom City fireworks marketplace on the Tulalip Indian Reservation, near Seattle.

In addition to the CPSC and ATF, the investigation involved the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington and the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Consumer Litigation.

CPSC sets national safety standards for fireworks. Explosives, such as M-80s, quarter-sticks, half-sticks, and tennis ball bombs, are illegal and responsible for hundreds of injuries and even deaths every year.

Since 1998, the CPSC has received reports of more than 40 injuries related to these illegal firecracker-type explosive devices in the Pacific Northwest alone. These devices are sold illegally to consumers as fireworks or firecrackers. In 1999, hospital emergency rooms nationwide have treated an estimated 8,500 fireworks-related injuries. The improper use of fireworks or the use of illegal fireworks has resulted in deaths, blindings, amputations and severe burns.

CPSC conducts fireworks surveillance and enforcement throughout the year. Each year, CPSC stops hundreds of shipments of hazardous explosive devices before they reach the store shelves. Working with U.S. Customs Service since 1988, CPSC has seized or detained more than 400 million hazardous explosives at the docks.

Under the authority granted to it by the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, the CPSC prohibits the sale of the most dangerous types of fireworks, and the components intended to make them. The banned fireworks include M-80s, M-1000s, quarter-sticks, half-sticks, and other large firecrackers. Any firecracker with more than 50 milligrams of explosive powder is banned under federal law, as are mail order kits and components designed to build these fireworks.