Posted on 04/11/2026 12:18:30 PM PDT by Libloather
A former Yolo County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant is one of five people charged with murder following a fireworks warehouse explosion that killed seven workers in the rural Northern California community of Esparto last summer, authorities said.
Samuel Machado is accused of illegally having 1 million pounds of fireworks on his property at the time of the blast and using his law enforcement position to shield the illicit operation from scrutiny for years, according to the Yolo County district attorney’s office.
Machado was placed on administrative leave following the violent July 1 explosion, which was felt by residents up to 20 miles away, destroyed a family farm and sparked a 78-acre grass fire.
Devastating Pyrotechnics LLC and Blackstar Fireworks, Inc., are accused of manufacturing and storing explosives — including some too powerful to even be legally considered fireworks — on Machado’s property. On Friday, Yolo County Dist. Atty. Jeff Reisig announced a 30-count felony indictment had been filed against seven people connected to the blast, following the largest investigation he’s seen in two decades at the office. A separate five-count felony indictment was filed against an eighth defendant, Machado’s wife.
The most serious counts are seven second-degree murder charges — one for each of the warehouse workers who died.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
“You can regulate and sell them legally,
or let the black market do it’s thing,”
In this case ‘You can regulate and sell them legally,
AND let the black market do it’s thing,’.
No
County was notified about stash in 2022.
More heads should roll.
Y.O.L.O.
Fair enough!
Capitalism works!
Used to have a wood shop teacher missing a pinky. Scared us straight.
He may have had “insurance”, but under false pretenses. Would not think they would pay off.
“Sam, don’t smoke near the merchandise.”
.
Sam: I’ll smoke near the merchandise if I want to.
We’ve got a strong Union...
YOLO County. You only live once!
It *is* a lot of stored chemical energy....
... but what is far worse is the insane level of corruption surrounding this event.
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