A former police lieutenant and the owner of a California fireworks company have been arrested and indicted in connection with an explosion at an illegal fireworks manufacturing facility in Yolo County last year that killed seven people.
According to Prosecutor Jeff Reisig, a grand jury on April 3rd indicted a total of eight individuals on various charges, with five of them facing second-degree murder charges.
The defendants include former police lieutenant Sam Machado, his wife Tammy Machado, and Kenneth Chee—the founder of the fireworks company Devastating Pyrotechnics.
Chee was arrested in Florida while visiting Walt Disney World with his family.
Machado, Chee, and three others face seven counts of murder, corresponding to the seven victims killed in the explosion in the Esparto area in July 2025.
The company’s operations manager, Jack Lee, was also arrested in connection with the incident.
Prosecutors stated that a year-long, multi-state investigation uncovered a ring that operated for approximately 10 years, turning Machado’s property into a distribution hub for illegal fireworks in Northern California.
According to the indictment, the ring imported more than 11 million pounds of explosive materials. At the time of the explosion, the facility housed approximately 1 million pounds of fireworks.
Authorities determined these products had explosive power far exceeding legal limits, similar to catastrophic explosions, and could not be considered standard consumer fireworks.
The indictment also alleges that Machado used his position in law enforcement to shield the operation for an extended period.
The case is currently proceeding through the legal system.
