Pyrotechnics coordinator sentenced for illegal explosives on Savannah movie set
SAVANNAH, Ga. - A man whose job was to enhance films by adding dangerous special effects was not, in fact, allowed to possess explosives due to a previous conviction, a federal court found.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Georgia said 51-year-old Robert Christopher Bailey from Los Angeles was sentenced to probation for possession of illegal explosives.
David Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, said a judge sentenced the special effects and pyrotechnics coordinator to 30 months of probation after pleading guilty to possession of explosive materials as a prohibited person. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Bailey to pay a fine of $5,500.
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Bailey was working in Savannah on a film, according to officials.
His previous conviction was from a July 2018 incident on the set of "The Poison Rose," starring John Travolta and Morgan Freeman.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives questioned Bailey about his work on the movie in 2018 after receiving complaints.
The Associated Press reports one complaint said Travolta had been "hit with sparks and treated for a minor injury during a mishap with special effects," according to a legal filing by prosecutors. Bailey was not charged with injuring Travolta or anyone else on the film set.
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"ATF is tasked with regulating the explosives industry and to promote public safety in the Southern District of Georgia," said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the ATF. "The defendant had no business possessing explosives, given his previous criminal conduct."
A press release from the U.S. District Attorney's Office said Bailey admitted in court he is prohibited from possessing explosive materials because of a prior criminal conviction.
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"The film industry is a robust and growing part of the economy in Savannah and in Georgia, and we welcome those who come to the state to work in movie production," Estes said. "However, we will fully enforce the law so that dangerous explosives are not in the hands of those who are prohibited from handling them."
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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