Several containers of fireworks entered the country through the Port of Savannah.
The owner of a South Carolina fireworks company has been convicted and sentenced to six months of probation for transporting fireworks into a state that prohibits their sale or use.
Eric Stajos, owner of Big Fireworks, was convicted last month in U.S. District Court in Florence, S.C. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2018 for conspiracy to smuggle and smuggling hazardous materials into the United States.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG), Stajos conspired to illegally import several containers of fireworks into the United States between 2012 and 2015. The fireworks entered the country at the Port of Savannah.
An inspection revealed the fireworks were illegal. Specifically, the fireworks were not manifested on the importation documentation and did not have a valid approval from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration as required, DOT-OIG said.
The containers were subsequently seized by Custom and Border Protection for importation violations.
