Related Federal Cases
- Kern County Man Cops 4-Year Sentence for Bomb Hoard · Arizona
- Felony Firearm Possession Nets 39-Year-Old Camarillo Man 10-Year Sentence · California
- Alfredo Covarrubias-Jimenez, Illegally Reentering the Country, Las … · Nevada
- Ruffy Alvarez, Methamphetamine and Cocaine Trafficking, Anchorage A… · Nevada
- No Defendant Name Found, Tech Theft Ring Busted, USA, 2023 · Nevada
Man Arrested for Illegally Transporting Fireworks
LOS ANGELES – Arturo Ceja III, a South Los Angeles man, was arrested on federal charges of illegally transporting over 32,000 pounds of explosives, including homemade devices that caused a huge explosion in South L.A.
Ceza, 32, made several trips to Nevada in late June to purchase various types of explosives, including aerial displays and large homemade fireworks containing explosive materials, from Area 51, a fireworks dealer in Pahrump, Nevada. He transported the explosives to his residence in rental vans, most of which were purchased at Area 51.
According to the complaint, Ceja told investigators that he purchased the homemade explosives from an individual selling the devices out of the trunk of a Honda in the Area 51 parking lot. The devices were constructed of cardboard paper, hobby fuse, and packed with explosive flash powder.
The explosives were stored in Ceja’s backyard under unsecured tents and next to cooking grills, in an unsafe manner. None of the commercial fireworks or homemade fireworks, which contained explosive materials, were stored in an approved magazine.
On Wednesday, after receiving a tip that fireworks were being stored in Ceja’s backyard, Los Angeles Police officers responded to his residence on East 27th Street. During the removal of the fireworks, the LAPD Bomb Squad determined that some of the homemade fireworks containing explosive materials were not safe to transport due to risk of detonation in a densely populated area.
As the devices were being destroyed, a total containment vessel (TCV) exploded, causing a massive blast radius, damaging homes in the neighborhood, and injuring a total of 17 law enforcement personnel and civilians. Ceja will remain in custody until an initial appearance expected on July 6 in United States District Court in Los Angeles.
The charge of transporting explosives without a license carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
WeaponsWeaponsWeaponsWeapons