Overview
- Following Thursday arrests across jurisdictions, Yolo County prosecutors on Friday announced grand-jury indictments charging eight people, with five facing second-degree murder tied to the July 1, 2025 explosion in Esparto.
- Those charged with murder are Samuel Machado, Kenneth Chee, Jack Lee, Gary Chan Jr., and Douglas Tollefson, while three others face conspiracy and related explosives counts.
- Kenneth Chee, owner of Devastating Pyrotechnics, was arrested in Florida near Walt Disney World and is set for extradition to California after a court appearance there.
- Prosecutors say the operation moved more than 11 million pounds of explosive materials over a decade and stored about one million pounds on the Machado property at the time of the blast, with unlicensed containers and no local permits.
- A recent civil grand jury found county officials knew for years about the illegal fireworks businesses and took no enforcement action despite a local ban, as families of the seven workers killed pursue civil claims and regulators have revoked licenses and issued fines.