Police arrest Central Falls man selling illegal fireworks

By: News Staff

Email: news@abc6.com

Twitter: @ABC6

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. (WLNE) — Police in Central Falls got ready for the 4th of July earlier than expected.

Central Falls police have arrested a man for selling illegal fireworks on Craigslist. The Rhode Island Division of State Fire Marshal first noticed the Craigslist postings.

28-year-old Wilber Barth was advertising aerial fireworks for sale, which are illegal in Rhode Island.

Detectives who were working undercover posed as potential buyers and when they showed up to meet Barth, they arrested him.

Police then searched Barth’s Central Falls home and found a massive amount of illegal fireworks.

Barth is now charged with a felony.

“It’s very easy for someone to hurt themselves,” said Lt. Christopher Reed; Central Falls Police Department.

As a reminder, the only types of fireworks legal in Rhode Island are ones that do not leave the ground.

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