On Wednesday, August 21, Daniel Finnegan and his wife, Sherri Finnegan, were arrested at their home in Smith County and charged with False Pretense and violation of the Mississippi Fire Prevention Code.
The couple is accused of installing faulty and used fire suppression systems in commercial kitchens across at least 13 counties, endangering lives by failing to test the systems before placing them into service.
Daniel Finnegan allegedly tagged fire extinguishers without proper testing and repainted and replaced parts on used extinguishers, selling them as new.
The couple’s business, Finnegan’s Fire Safety Equipment, based in Pelahatchie, operated without proper registration with the Secretary of State.
Many of the faulty systems were sold to daycares and other businesses. The State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) is urging any business that purchased systems from Finnegan to report their experience by calling 601-359-1061. The SFMO will assist these businesses in replacing the faulty equipment with new, reliable systems.
The arrests followed a search warrant executed at the couple’s home by the SFMO and the Smith County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation has uncovered more than 50 pending charges in multiple counties, including Adams, Covington, Hinds, Jones, Jefferson, Leake, Madison, Newton, Rankin, Warren, Winston, and Yazoo, in addition to Smith County.
