A man described as the ringleader of a black market explosives operation in California was arrested on a fugitive warrant at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios on Thursday and is being held at the Orange County Jail. Back on July 1, 2025, a warehouse operated by “Devastating Pyrotechnics” in Esparto, west of Sacramento, blew up. An estimated one million pounds of explosives leveled every building on the property. When fire and rescue sifted through the remains, they located the bodies of seven people who worked there. The owner, Kenneth Chee, faced a judge at the Orange County Jail Friday morning. He was ordered held without bond on a staggering number of charges: seven counts of murder, conspiracy, illegal possession of explosives, and the making and possession of destructive devices without a permit. Since he’s not legally allowed to deal in fireworks, following the July explosion, he was apparently vacationing at Disney World when he was arrested Thursday afternoon at the movie-themed park. He’s expected to be held in Orlando until his extradition to California next week. “This was a terrible event for those seven people who died, and the entire community,” said Yolo County’s District Attorney Jeff Reisig Friday during a news conference to unveil indictments against a total of eight people, seven of them for direct connection to the fatal blast. Indicted for murder along with Chee are Gary Y. Chan Jr., Jack Y. Lee, Douglas Michal Tollefsen and Samuel Elmo Machado, who owned the property on which “Devastating Pyrotechnics” stored fireworks and other explosives, and who formerly worked as a Lieutenant with the Yolo County Sheriff’s department. Also indicted in connection with activity on the property were Craig Allen Cutright and Ronald John Botelho III. Machado’s wife, Tammy Machado, was indicted on separate charges of fraud and animal cruelty. Prosecutors said during the news conference that the entire operation was using the purchasing and distribution of fireworks as a front for an elaborate conspiracy to import and sell illegal explosives on the black market in Northern California. Yolo County Deputy District Attorney Clara Nabity said, “Those counts allege a decade-long conspiracy which turned the property of a former sheriff’s lieutenant (Samuel Machado) into the northern California hub of an illegal enterprise that imports and sells illegal explosives on the black market.” Regarding the families of the victims, Reisig said, “Our heart is with them. We have deep empathy for their loss. As demonstrated today, we’ve been on it from day one. We’re committed to pursuing this to the very end.” The families are suing the operators of the business. A Grand Jury also reviewed evidence in the Esparto explosion and, in March, released a scathing report titled “Officials Knew, None Acted.” It found that in “June 2022, Esparto fire officials found both ‘safe and sane’ fireworks and dangerous fireworks,” but no local “permit or business license was ever obtained.” The California explosion brings back memories of the deadly blast at an Orlando warehouse Dec. 1, 2022. Four people died: David Gonzalez, Elizabeth “Lissie” Tiralongo, Lindsey Phillips and Landon Bourland. A fifth, Lindsey Tallafuss, was severely injured. Last year, a settlement was reached with Magic In The Sky fireworks, Jacob J. Dell Productions and the Dells individually. But a lawsuit is still pending against the companies’ main client, SeaWorld, with a trial scheduled for May 2027.

ORLANDO, Fla. —

A man described as the ringleader of a black market explosives operation in California was arrested on a fugitive warrant at Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios on Thursday and is being held at the Orange County Jail.

Back on July 1, 2025, a warehouse operated by “Devastating Pyrotechnics” in Esparto, west of Sacramento, blew up. An estimated one million pounds of explosives leveled every building on the property.

When fire and rescue sifted through the remains, they located the bodies of seven people who worked there.

The owner, Kenneth Chee, faced a judge at the Orange County Jail Friday morning. He was ordered held without bond on a staggering number of charges: seven counts of murder, conspiracy, illegal possession of explosives, and the making and possession of destructive devices without a permit.

Since he’s not legally allowed to deal in fireworks, following the July explosion, he was apparently vacationing at Disney World when he was arrested Thursday afternoon at the movie-themed park. He’s expected to be held in Orlando until his extradition to California next week.

“This was a terrible event for those seven people who died, and the entire community,” said Yolo County’s District Attorney Jeff Reisig Friday during a news conference to unveil indictments against a total of eight people, seven of them for direct connection to the fatal blast.

Indicted for murder along with Chee are Gary Y. Chan Jr., Jack Y. Lee, Douglas Michal Tollefsen and Samuel Elmo Machado, who owned the property on which “Devastating Pyrotechnics” stored fireworks and other explosives, and who formerly worked as a Lieutenant with the Yolo County Sheriff’s department. Also indicted in connection with activity on the property were Craig Allen Cutright and Ronald John Botelho III.

Machado’s wife, Tammy Machado, was indicted on separate charges of fraud and animal cruelty.

Prosecutors said during the news conference that the entire operation was using the purchasing and distribution of fireworks as a front for an elaborate conspiracy to import and sell illegal explosives on the black market in Northern California.

Yolo County Deputy District Attorney Clara Nabity said, “Those counts allege a decade-long conspiracy which turned the property of a former sheriff’s lieutenant (Samuel Machado) into the northern California hub of an illegal enterprise that imports and sells illegal explosives on the black market.”

Regarding the families of the victims, Reisig said, “Our heart is with them. We have deep empathy for their loss. As demonstrated today, we’ve been on it from day one. We’re committed to pursuing this to the very end.”

The families are suing the operators of the business.

A Grand Jury also reviewed evidence in the Esparto explosion and, in March, released a scathing report titled “Officials Knew, None Acted.” It found that in “June 2022, Esparto fire officials found both ‘safe and sane’ fireworks and dangerous fireworks,” but no local “permit or business license was ever obtained.”

The California explosion brings back memories of the deadly blast at an Orlando warehouse Dec. 1, 2022.

Four people died: David Gonzalez, Elizabeth “Lissie” Tiralongo, Lindsey Phillips and Landon Bourland. A fifth, Lindsey Tallafuss, was severely injured.

Last year, a settlement was reached with Magic In The Sky fireworks, Jacob J. Dell Productions and the Dells individually. But a lawsuit is still pending against the companies’ main client, SeaWorld, with a trial scheduled for May 2027.