They Stole from the Whole City
- Robin Lyons
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Imagine you have plans to take the children and perhaps grandchildren to see the annual fireworks show the city puts on. Then you hear someone has stolen the fireworks.
Every year, in most cities—small and large—people look forward to the Fourth of July fireworks show. It’s not possible to apply logic to why anyone would think it a good idea to steal a town’s fireworks on July 3rd.
As soon as a park employee discovered that a theft had occurred, he reported it to the police. The town went into crisis mode to find replacement supplies so that the show could go on.
The distributor of the fireworks said,
“They didn’t just steal from our company. They stole from the whole city.”
The show did go on, but the investigators were busy elsewhere. Because fireworks used at the level of a town display are classified as commercial-grade explosives, the theft fell under the oversight of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives—a federal crime. They put the value of the stolen goods at $18,000.
One day later, people who knew about the crime pointed fingers, and locals delivered evidence to the police, names dropped and arrests made. The thieves tried to sell the fireworks and detonation devices. A money-making scheme nobody wanted a part of.
All the participants confessed and waited for their sentencing. They pleaded guilty to possession of stolen explosives.
A judge sentenced the gang of thieves to:
18 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, 200 hours of community service
16 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, 200 hours of community service
6 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release, 400 hours of community service
3 years of probation, 200 hours of community service
Source: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Great Falls Tribune, 9-KXLH Helena
All data and information provided is for information and research purposes only and not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual. Appeals or overturned verdicts may have occurred in criminal cases since I researched them. All information is provided on an as-is basis.
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