Law enforcement efforts to stop the proliferation of illegal aerial fireworks in Hawaii have led to two no contest pleas and charges for an alleged distributor, according to the state Department of the Attorney General.

The prosecutions come after “sting operations to identify and arrest distributors of illegal fireworks,” according to the AG.

The arrests and charges are part of an increased effort to prevent tragedies like the Jan. 1 Aliamanu fireworks explosion that killed six people and wounded dozens when a cake of aerial projectiles fell over and fired into a cache of illegal fireworks, detonating them.

That deadly New Year’s party has led to at least 12 arrests, including the two homeowners.

Wolfgang Clark pleaded no contest Thursday to discharging aerial devices of 25 pounds or more without a license and transferring an aerial device to unpermitted persons. In February, Daniel C. Young pled no contest to the same charges.

The offenses are class C felonies, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Both men avoided jail time, receiving deferred pleas over the state’s objection. They are required to pay a fine of $5,000 and will be under court supervision for four years, according to the AG.

If they abide by conditions similar to probation the offenses will be removed from criminal their records.

On Mar. 11, Explicit Pyrotechnics, LLC., and its owner, Josephine Quintanilla, aka “Josephine Langas and Josephine Henderson” was charged with “importation of fireworks without a valid license or permit,” a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

People need federal and state permits to import fireworks to Hawaii. While in possession of a federal permit, Explicit Pyrotechnics, LLC., “is alleged to have imported fireworks into the state without first obtaining a state permit.”

“The judgments in these cases are a step in the right direction for holding distributors accountable,” said Mike Lambert, director of the Department of Law Enforcement in a statement. “If we are able to increase the penalties for fireworks distributors this legislative session, the Department of Law Enforcement is confident that we can reduce the availability of fireworks in our community.”

The cases were investigated by the Illegal Fireworks Task Force, anchored by the Hawaii Department of Law Enforcement and the Honolulu Police Department.

The cases are prosecuted by the AG’s Criminal Justice Division.

“I want to extend my sincerest thanks to the law enforcement agencies involved in the Illegal Fireworks Task Force, as well as to my Criminal Justice Division staff, for all their hard work investigating these illegal operators and bringing them to justice,” said Attorney General Anne E. Lopez in a statement. “Together we will do everything in our power to enforce the law so that what happened on New Year’s Eve never happens again.”