"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."
"The most serious counts are seven second-degree murder charges - one for each of the warehouse workers who died."
"An investigative report filed by a Yolo County civil grand jury last month stated that various top county authorities were aware of the sprawling illegal operation for at least three years prior to the lethal explosion, yet failed to take action."
Samuel Machado, a former Yolo County Sheriff's Office lieutenant, is charged with murder after a fireworks explosion killed seven workers in Esparto. He allegedly stored 1 million pounds of illegal fireworks on his property and used his position to protect the operation from scrutiny. The explosion, which occurred on July 1, caused significant destruction, including a grass fire. Two pyrotechnic companies are implicated in the incident, and a large investigation revealed that county authorities were aware of the illegal activities for years without taking action.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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