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5th Person Arrested in Illegal THC Vape Pen-Making Business in Wisconsin

A stockpile of bootleg illegal vaping cartridges allegedly manufactured and sold by Tyler Huffhines are seen in an undated photo. (Credit: WITI via CNN)

Authorities have made a fifth arrest in connection with a black market THC vape manufacturing business in Wisconsin.

A 22-year-old Racine man is accused of working for the large-scale operation in Kenosha County. He’s facing charges of possession of THC with intent to deliver.

Forty-three-year-old Courtney Huffhines and her sons, 23-year-old Jacob Huffhines and 20-year-old Tyler Huffhines, are accused of operating the business from a rented Bristol condo and the mother’s real estate office in Union Grove.

Tyler Huffhines is seen in an undated booking photo provided by the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office. (Credit: WITI via CNN)

Prosecutors say the business employed 10 workers who manufactured thousands of vape cartridges a day using THC oil purchased in California.

The number of vaping-related illnesses in the U.S. continues to rise, now reaching about 1,300 cases and more than two dozen deaths.