A former Northern California sheriff lieutenant and the owner of a fireworks company have been arrested and charged with murder following last year’s horrific explosion at an illegal fireworks factory in Yolo county that killed seven people.

Almost a year-long investigation into the massive explosion in California, the Yolo County District Attorney announced it charged eight people.

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,

ONTARIO, Calif. (KTLA) – Two people died in a fire sparked by commercial-grade fireworks at a home in Southern California Tuesday afternoon, officials said. Towering billows of smoke were still rising from the house in Ontario, east of Los Angeles, more ...

Prosecutors said the entire operation was as a front for a conspiracy to important and sell illegal explosives on the black market in northern California.