Former sheriff's deputy pleads "not guilty" to murder in fatal Esparto fireworks explosion

WOODLAND, Calif. - Six people indicted in connection with the deadly Esparto fireworks warehouse explosion returned to court on Thursday, where several relatives of the seven killed employees tearfully asked the judge for no bail. 

The attorney for former Yolo County Sheriff's Lieutenant Sam Machado said in court that his client should be allowed bail, saying that the fatal explosion last July 1, 2025 had been an "industrial accident," and that his client was just the "landlord," who lived on the property and would never have allowed an illegal, unpermitted fireworks operation.  

Proseuctors told the judge in court that there is evidence in text messages that Machado "door-dashed" explosives to his property, and asked workers to hide the explosives when Machado believed inspectors might visit the property. 

Bail remains

What we know:

Yolo County Superior Court Daniel P. Maguire kept the no bail conditions in place, and reset court schedules for next week. The judge also allowed the hearing to be livestreamed.  

Those appearing in court include former Yolo County Sheriff’s Lt. Sam Machado; Craig Cutright, the owner of Blackstar Fireworks and a volunteer firefighter for the Esparto Fire District; Jack Lee, the owner of San Francisco-based Devastating Pyrotechnics; and Douglas Tollefsen, an associate of Devastating Pyrotechnics.

Lee, Machado and Tollefsen remain held without bail in Yolo County custody. Cutright is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail at Yolo County jail.  Maguire kept those bail amounts in place until court hearings scheduled for April 22.

At the court hearing on Thursday, Sam Machado, who appeared in custody in a white T-shirt, entered a not guilty plea to a second-degree murder charge. 

The DA also charged Chee, Lee, Chan, and Tollefsen with second-degree murder. 

Emotional pleas from victims' relatives

Many of the victims' family members spoke in court Thursday in memory of the seven people killed: Christopher Bocog, Neil Justin Li, Joel Melendez, Jesús Ramos, Jhony Ramos Jr.,, Carlos Rodriguez, and Angel Voller.

"I lost my partner Christopher Bocag. Just weeks after the explosion... my son turned six."  Maria Soriano, Christopher Bocag's partner, said. "He is growing up without his dad."

Matt Voller, father of Angel Voller, 18, described how his son had just graduated from school before he was killed. 

"Every day we hurt. I love my son. I miss him very much. He was a brother, uncle, grandson, boyfriend. He was loved by so many," Voller said. 

Syanna Ruiz, Jesus Ramos's partner, just gave birth to their daughter two months ago, and brought the baby to the courtroom. 

"You took away the father of my daughter," Ruiz told the defendants, "You need to face the actions and the consequences." 

"I am asking that they will not be granted today please. My husband, Carlos Rodriguez, was taken from us in this horrible tragedy and the impact on our family has been something we will carry forever," Tiffany Nolan, widow of Carlos Rodriguez, said. 

Maria Melendez also spoke about her husband, saying, "I lost my husband suddenly and violently and now am raising our two sons alone, with our 21-month-oldhaving a recent autism diagnosis. They will grow up without their father and that is what they will have to live with every single day."

Arraignment

What's next:

Gary Chan Jr., whose name is on the company’s federal license, appeared in court on Thursday afternoon. Chan faces charges of possessing, transporting or conspiring to transport destructive or explosive devices. The judge moved the arraignment to next week, so that Chan could apply for legal counsel from a public defender. 

Lee served as the company's longtime operations manager, while Chan is listed on Devastating Pyrotechnics's federal license. 

Sam Machado's wife, Tammy Machado, who also worked as a civilian in the sheriff's office, has pleaded not guilty to charges that include mortgage and tax fraud, child endangerment and animal cruelty. She was allowed to post bail. 

On Thursday, she appeared with her attorney in court to schedule future matters. 

Charges: murder, conspiracy, fraud, child endangerment

In total, eight people were indicted in connection with the explosion, including Kenneth Chee, owner of Devastating Pyrotechnics, and Ronald Botelho III, the latter of whom worked for Cutright.

Charges include murder, conspiracy to commit a crime, possession of illegal assault weapons, illegal explosives' possession, insurance fraud, child endangerment and animal cruelty.

The charges stem from the massive explosion that occurred on July 1, 2025, on the Machado family's property in Esparto, about 40 miles northwest of Sacramento.

Seven people – all employees working at the fireworks facility – were killed days before the Fourth of July, and the explosion caused a 78-acre fire. 

Seven killed

Why you should care:

Those killed were workers at the site. They were: Jesús Ramos, 18; Jhony Ramos, 22; Joel Melendez Jr., 28; Carlos Rodriguez-Mora, 43; Angel Voller, 18; Christopher Bocog, 45; and Neil Li, 41.

Maria Melendez, widow of Joel Melendez, was among the many family members who asked the judge for no bail at the start of the hearing. 

According to the Yolo County District Attorney, the site was found to have been storing approximately one million pounds of illegal fireworks at the time of the explosion. 

At the Thursday court hearing, Maguire noted that the "tragedy was beyond scale." 

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