Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • topics
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight With Vicki Gonzalez
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 

Lawyers: Plea Deal Reached In Ghost Ship Warehouse Fire

Friday, June 29, 2018 | Sacramento, CA
Josh Edelson / AP

Firefighters clear an entry to a smoldering building after a fire tore through a warehouse party early Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 in Oakland.

Josh Edelson / AP

By PAUL ELIAS,  Associated Press

(AP) — Lawyers said Friday that a tentative plea deal has been reached for two defendants in connection with a Northern California warehouse fire that killed three dozen partygoers at an unlicensed concert in 2016.

Attorneys for Derick Almena and Max Harris expect the two men to formally agree to plea deals on Tuesday.

Tyler Smith and Curtis Briggs, lawyers representing Harris, said the agreement was reached after more than two hours of negotiations, but it still needs to be finalized.

The judge asked lawyers to refrain from discussing details until the defendants appear in court.

Alameda County prosecutor Teresa Drenick declined to comment.

Earlier in the day, Almena's attorney Tony Serra said his client agreed to plead guilty in exchange for an eight-year prison term. However, the details of that deal could have changed during the lengthy negotiations.

Serra also said Harris was arguing for a lesser sentence than Almena, who rented the warehouse and is accused of illegally converting it into a residence and entertainment venue.

Harris helped Almena manage the warehouse, collecting rent and scheduling concerts.

Serra said a plea deal will spare the victims' families from testifying at a trial where photos of burned bodies and other emotionally fraught evidence would be shown.

Prosecutors say Almena turned the cluttered building into a "death trap" with few exits, rickety stairs and dark and dangerous passageways.

Almena, his wife and three children lived in the warehouse but were staying in an Oakland hotel the night of the fire, which broke out during an electronic music performance in 2016.

In an interview with San Francisco Bay Area news station KTVU-TV, Almena says he "didn't put a bullet in anybody" but is ready to accept responsibility for the blaze, which became the nation's deadliest structure fire since flames swept a Rhode Island nightclub in 2003 and killed 100 people.

Almena has already been credited with two years of imprisonment.

Serra said Almena also is eligible for a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation sentence reduction because involuntary manslaughter charges are classified as non-violent.


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

Coronavirus Newsletter

Get answers to your questions, the latest updates and easy access to the resources you need, delivered to your inbox.

 

Want to know what to expect? Here's a recent newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

We'll send you weekly emails so you can stay informed about the coronavirus in California.

Browse all newsletters

More Stories

Alisha Jucevic / CalMatters

California spent millions to boost COVID vaccination rates of Medi-Cal members — but they lag even more

May 11, 2022

Damian Dovarganes / AP Photo

California church shooter was motivated by hate for Taiwanese people, officials say

May 16, 2022

Scott Olson/Getty Images

FDA authorizes first COVID booster for children ages 5 to 11

May 17, 2022

Most Viewed

Downtown Sacramento shooting: What we know and latest updates

With California budget surplus projected at $97 billion, Newsom proposes driver rebates, more reproductive health funding

California coronavirus updates: Sacramento City Council may vote to continue virtual meetings

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla will appear on California’s June primary ballot twice. Here’s why.

Ukraine says it's downed 200 aircraft, a mark of Russian failures in the sky

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

Downtown Sacramento shooting: What we know and latest updates

With California budget surplus projected at $97 billion, Newsom proposes driver rebates, more reproductive health funding

California coronavirus updates: Sacramento City Council may vote to continue virtual meetings

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla will appear on California’s June primary ballot twice. Here’s why.

Ukraine says it's downed 200 aircraft, a mark of Russian failures in the sky

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Careers & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2022, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.