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New Mexico Company Fined, Ordered To Stop Selling Illegal Fireworks Components

Release Date: July 20, 2007

In the aftermath of the Fourth of July holiday, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing another success in its fireworks enforcement program aimed at reducing deaths and injuries to consumers from illegal fireworks.

At sentencing today, United Nuclear Scientific Supplies LLC, of Edgewood, N.M., founded and operated by Robert Lazar, was fined $7,500 and received three years probation. The firm violated federal law which prohibits the sale of chemicals and components used to make illegal fireworks.

"This court ruling is a victory for consumer safety," said CPSC's Acting Chairman Nancy Nord. "By shutting down the illegal operations of United Nuclear and securing a major court victory against Firefox Enterprises and its owners in May, CPSC is demonstrating our commitment to keeping illegal fireworks out of the marketplace and preventing serious injuries to consumers."

U.S. Chief Magistrate Lorenzo F. Garcia of the District of New Mexico handed down the sentence after United Nuclear pled guilty to three criminal counts of introducing into interstate commerce and aiding and abetting the introduction into interstate commerce of banned hazardous substances. The firm sold the chemicals and components used to make illegal fireworks, such as M-80's and quarter sticks, which are banned under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act and CPSC regulations.

United Nuclear, its principal, Robert Lazar, and accountant Joy White, also entered into a consent decree that permanently limits the amount of future sales of fireworks-related chemicals and prohibits the sale of any fuses, tubes and end caps. The decree also required destruction of the firm's remaining inventory of components and specified chemicals.

The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Consumer Litigation and the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico.

Release Number
07-249

About the U.S. CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years. 

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