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Fire Marshal, Lawrence County Sheriff Stop Illegal Sale of Fireworks

Former Owner of Ohio River Fireworks Arrested, Along with Daughter

Investigators with Ohio's State Fire Marshal's Office and the Office of Lawrence County Sheriff Roy Smith arrested a Scottown father and daughter for illegally selling fireworks Saturday.

David Pruitt and Vicki Bailey were arrested and charged with illegal possession and illegal sale of 1.4G fireworks after an undercover officer made two separate purchases. A third charge of falsification of a fireworks affidavit is expected. A court date of July 7 at 9 a.m. has been set.

The 1.4G fireworks are commonly known as consumer fireworks and include items such as firecrackers, bottle rockets and roman candles. Only licensed fireworks manufacturers and wholesalers can sell 1.4G fireworks. The possession charge stems from a law requiring residents to transport fireworks out of state within 48 hours of purchase. The falsification charge relates to the purchaser form that must be signed upon purchasing fireworks. It requires purchasers to state where out of state the fireworks will be transported and requires Ohio residents to acknowledge that they must be taken out of state within 48 hours.

The State Fire Marshal's office was made aware of the potential illegal sale of fireworks on Friday afternoon by the Sheriff's Office. Both offices worked together to establish a sting operation that was carried out Saturday evening. An undercover officer was able to purchase $100 worth of fireworks from Bailey, who was selling from a vehicle parked at a property on SR 217 in Scottown. The property was approximately 500 yards south of the former location of Ohio River Fireworks, the Pruitt-owned store in which nine people died after an arson fire in 1996. A second purchase of $233 was later made from David Pruitt from the same location. Fireworks from both purchases, the remaining truckload of unsold fireworks and $2000 in cash were seized.

Under Ohio's fireworks law, stiff penalties can be applied for the illegal possession or discharge of fireworks. It is a first-degree misdemeanor for non-licensed individuals to sell or discharge fireworks in Ohio, to falsify an application when purchasing fireworks, or to possess them for more than 48 or 72 hours without taking them to the designated out-of-state address. First-time offenders are subject up to a $1,000 fine and six months imprisonment. Subsequent violations become felonies of the fifth degree.

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