CPSC Announces Indictments in Cigarette Lighter Case

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that two people have been indicted on charges arising from its investigation into the removal of child safety mechanisms from disposable cigarette lighters. A federal grand jury in Tennessee charged Donald M. Anthony of Memphis with seven felony counts, including obstruction of justice and making false statements to CPSC. His former assistant, Marie A. Marrese, also of Memphis, faces four similar charges and three additional counts of making false statements to a grand jury. Anthony and Marrese operated National Marketing, a now-defunct Memphis business that distributed cigarette lighters and other merchandise to convenience stores and other distributors nationwide.

The indictments are part of an ongoing investigation by CPSC and the U.S. Justice Department into the illegal sale of cigarette lighters with their child-resistant features disabled. The indictments allege that Anthony and Marrese conspired to profit from the sale of lighters with disabled safety mechanisms and to conceal the sales from government investigators. The investigation is continuing against individuals and companies that bought lighters from National Marketing.

Before cigarette lighters were required to be child-resistant, during the period 1988-1990, an average of 150 persons were killed and nearly 1,100 injured per year as a result of residential fires started by children younger than 5 who were playing with lighters. Average annual property damage from such fires totaled almost $70 million. "CPSC's safety standard for cigarette lighters will prevent hundreds of fires and needless deaths each year, especially many deaths to children," said CPSC Chairman Ann Brown. "These indictments show that we will vigorously pursue criminal penalties against companies that provide false information and undermine CPSC investigations."

Each of six charges against Anthony, and each of the seven charges against Marrese, carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. One of the obstruction charges against Anthony carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

In May, CPSC announced an injunction against a California retail chain, Premium Tobacco Stores, for selling lighters with disabled child- resistant mechanisms. CPSC is seeking civil penalties from the retailer and three of its corporate officers.