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Derick Almena, the main tenant of the Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland, where dozens of people were killed in a fire in 2016, pleaded guilty on Friday to 36 counts of manslaughter in a plea deal which the families of the victims described as shocking and disappointing.
Alameda County prosecutors have told the families of the victims that Almena, 50, will receive a nine-year prison term under the deal, the East Bay Times previously reported, and he will likely not serve little or no extra time behind bars due to the time he already served and credit for his good behavior. His conviction is expected in the coming weeks, according to local media KTVU.
Thirty-six people died in a fire at the Ghost Ship warehouse in 2016 during an electronic music dance party on the second floor. Alameda County prosecutors said the blaze had moved so quickly that many people upstairs had little warning or chance of escaping up the dilapidated wooden staircase that led to the first floor.
The Ghost Ship warehouse had been illegally converted into an artists’ residence and event space, part of a vibrant arts scene in Oakland that was being crushed by gentrification. The building did not have a permit for a residence or public performances.
Some of the revelers recalled seeing the warehouse full of wooden items, and prosecutors said there were flammable materials, including extension cords, all over the two-story building.
The tragedy tore the Oakland artist community apart, and many said at the time that it illustrated the risk placed on them of surviving in the Bay Area as rent prices rose and civil servants began. to “crack down on marginalized communities”.
In the years since the fire, the families of the 36 people who died hoped for justice. Almena’s plea deal, which families only heard about last week, angered some, the East Bay Times reported.
David Gregory, the father of victim Michela Gregory, told the newspaper he was disappointed with a possible plea deal.
“I guess now we’re supposed to move on with our lives like it’s something we should just accept,” he added.
“It’s beyond a disappointment. It is beyond shock. I can’t get my emotions high enough. I am discouraged and depressed, ”Colleen Dolan, whose daughter Chelsea Faith Dolan also died in the blaze, told the newspaper.
Almena had been serving a sentence behind bars since 2017 but was released in May 2020 after posting $ 150,000 bail amid COVID-19 fears. He has been under house arrest at his home in Upper Lake, Calif., Where he lives with his wife and children, The Associated Press reported.
The first trial ended with a suspended jury verdict for Almena in September 2019 after more than two weeks of jury deliberation.
Max Harris, 29, who helped Almena collect rent for the Ghost Ship, was acquitted of 36 counts of manslaughter in the same trial.
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