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Chicagoan Caught Selling Illegal Fireworks, Including 'Threat To Society' Brand: Sheriff

(STMW) -- A Chicago man was arrested and more than 1,900 pounds of fireworks were seized after authorities claimed he was selling them illegally.

Vincent Saraceno, 36, was arrested Thursday morning after deputies found him selling the fireworks from a tent in a parking lot in the 900 block of West North Avenue in Melrose Park, according to the Cook County sheriff's department.

Officials seized roughly 1,900 pounds of illegal fireworks, some of which were sold under the names "Silver Salute" and "Threat to Society," according to the sheriff's office.

Threat To Society Fireworks
(Cook County Sheriff's Department)

The sheriff's office called the fireworks seized "a mass detonation hazard."

"If one inadvertently detonates, the explosion detonates the others. These types of fireworks should only be handled by licensed professionals," the department said in a statement.

Saraceno, of Chicago, is charged with one misdemeanor count of possession, sale or use of fireworks, the Cook County sheriff's office said.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2015. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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