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July 8, 2008
Dangerous Fireworks
A warning from police tonight. When it comes to the Fourth of
July, fireworks are a big part of many celebrations, but if
you're tempted to buy homemade devices, you could be buying into
a world of trouble. Investigative reporter Carmel Cafiero is On
the Case.
WSVN -- This cardboard cat was stuffed with homemade fireworks
by a couple of guys looking to blow off some steam.
Brian Gilbert: "We'll destroy the cat right in front of the U.S.
post office."
Richard Ficarra: "All right." Brian Gilbert: "Hopefully the FBI
will not arrest us."
The device detonated with such force it was heard a mile away.
It shook the post office and brought BSO to the scene.
And they did get arrested. Brian Gilbert and cameraman Richard
Ficarra had no idea the $30 homemade device bought from a guy on
the street could get them in such trouble.
Leah Mayersohn: "They didn't realize that the firework they
bought ended up being the equivalent of a half a stick of
dynamite."
Attorney Leah Mayersohn says the lark almost landed the pair in
prison.
Leah Mayersohn: "They were looking at charging one of my clients
with an offense that would have carried a 25-year minimum
mandatory sentence, and the other one was also looking at some
serious charges."
Brian Gilbert: "I'm walking over there."
Richard Ficarra: "Sweet!"
The duo got lucky and were eventually allowed to plead to
misdemeanor charges, but they aren't the only ones getting in
trouble. Law enforcement officials across Florida say they are
seeing an increase of dangerous homemade fireworks on the
street.
Helicopter Pilot: "There's the guy in the suit again."
Authorities in Lake Worth evacuated this neighborhood after
finding what they thought were pipe bombs while investigating a
burglary. The bomb squad was called in. Again, it was homemade
fireworks bought on the street.
Leah Mayersohn: "We were told that my client might face both
criminal charges and, at a minimum, there were substantial
investigative costs associated with the actions. They took
somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000."
On YouTube we found lots of folks having fun with homemade
fireworks without getting in trouble with police. But there's
another worry. What happens when homemade fireworks don't work
right?
This young man posts he lost partial hearing as a result of this
surprise detonation, and experts say that happens often with
homemade devices. These were seized on the streets of South
Florida.
Sgt. Chris McCoy: "They are more commonly known as M-100s,
quarter sticks, blockbusters, but they're nothing more but some
cardboard tube gunpowder inside a tube with a hobby fuse coming
out."
BSO bomb squad Sergeant Chris McCoy says they're all illegal and
very dangerous.
Sgt. Chris McCoy: "There's no quality control. I mean somebody
making this in a garage or in their kitchen may or may not know
what they are doing."
So if you want a big boom this fourth, the experts say leave it
to the experts because almost all other fireworks, commercial or
homemade, are against the law.
Sgt. Chris McCoy: "It's real simple. If it explodes or shoots in
the air, in the State of Florida, it's illegal."
And this is what can happen when fun with fireworks goes bad.
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