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WASHINGTON, Sept. 29, 1999 -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) announced today
that The Mazel Company, of Solon, Ohio, was sentenced to pay a criminal
penalty of $40,000 after pleading guilty to four counts of selling
banned children's toys.
The toys had been recalled by their New
Jersey importer in 1996 because they contained small parts, which posed
a choking hazard to young children.
However, following the recall, the importer
resold the toys to Mazel. Between August 1996 and February 1997, Mazel
sold approximately 800 Teddy Precious Collectible Bears to small retail
stores throughout the United States.
Toys intended for children under 3 that contain small parts are banned
under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. The U.S. District Court for
the Northern District of Ohio sentenced Mazel immediately after
accepting the guilty plea.
CPSC Chairman Ann Brown said, "This case will alert companies that
the sale of dangerous children's products is a violation of criminal
law. We will aggressively pursue actions like this one to protect the
safety of American children."
The Civil Division's Office of Consumer Litigation, in the Department of
Justice, handled the prosecution of Mazel and the New Jersey importer,
Dan Dee International Inc. In April, Dan Dee also pled guilty and was
sentenced to pay a $40,000 criminal fine.
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