Federal explosives licensee linked to fireworks firm arraigned in Esparto case
The man who obtained a federal explosives license for the fireworks firm at the center of the Esparto explosion appeared in a Woodland court Tuesday.
Gary Young Chan Jr., 43, was arrested last week in Santa Clara County. He faces 13 criminal charges, including seven counts of second-degree murder and multiple charges related to possessing, transporting or conspiring to possess explosives.
Chan did not enter a plea in Tuesday’s hearing. He is scheduled for further arraignment Thursday afternoon and is being held without bail.
Chan applied for and obtained the federal explosives permit for Devastating Pyrotechnics in 2014. Company founder Kenneth Chee was ineligible for a federal explosives license due to a violent felony conviction.
Chee used the ATF license Chan obtained to import millions of pounds of fireworks through ports across California, many of which ended up on the Esparto property where about 1 million pounds of explosives were present when the explosion occurred, according to authorities. The blast killed seven people: Jesús Ramos, 18; Jhony Ramos, 22; Joel “Junior” Melendez, 28; Carlos Rodriguez-Mora, 43; Angel Mathew Voller, 18; Christopher Bocog, 45; and Neil Li, 41.
Chan also allegedly told the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in 2017 that his explosives license for “Devastating Pyro Displays” had nothing to do with Kenneth Chee or Devastating Pyrotechnics.
In 2019, Chee and property owner Samuel Machado allegedly conspired to create fraudulent documents for the prior three years naming Chan as the leaseholder of the Esparto property.
Chan also allegedly filed paperwork with Yolo County for the company “Devastating Pyro Displays” in 2019.
On Monday, defendants Craig Cutright, Samuel Machado, Jack Lee and Douglas Tollefsen appeared for their arraignments, but the hearing was postponed until Thursday morning. Machado, Lee and Tollefsen, all charged with murder, have not been offered bail. Cutright, who was not charged with murder, had his bail set at $500,000.
Tammy Machado, indicted separately from the other defendants, faces five charges including mortgage and tax fraud, animal cruelty and child endangerment. She was arrested Thursday and later posted bail. Tammy Machado entered a not guilty plea during her arraignment on Monday.
Kenneth Chee, the founder of Devastating Pyrotechnics, was arrested last week in Orange County, Florida. He is expected to be extradited to Yolo County for arraignment after appearing briefly before an Orlando judge from jail. Messages to the State Attorney’s Office for Orlando was not returned.
