Derick Almena sentenced for deadly Ghost Ship fire, but avoids prison
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Derick Almena to serve remainder of sentence at home
An Alameda County Superior Court judge has accepted a plea deal from Ghost Ship master tenant Derick Almena for his role in the deadly warehouse fire.
OAKLAND, Calif. - The master tenant of the cluttered, dilapidated Oakland Ghost Ship warehouse where 36 people died in a fire was sentenced on Monday, but because of good behavior and time served, the 50-year-old artist will spend no more time in custody.
Derick Almena was sentenced to 12 years, but will serve out his sentence at home with an ankle monitor rather than behind bars. He was also ordered to pay restitutions of $181,000 for funeral expenses and counseling of victims.
Ghost Ship defendant Derick Almena to serve the remainder of his sentence from home
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A courtroom sketch of the Derick Almena, top left, as he answers questions from his Defense Attorney Tony Serra, top center, as Judge Trina Thompson, top right, listens on at the Rene C. Davidson Courthouse in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, July 8, 2019. Almena faces involuntary manslaughter charges stemming from the 2016 Ghost Ship blaze that killed 36 people during a music show. Seated in the foreground from left is Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Autrey James, Alameda County assistant district attorney Casey Bates, Attorney Curts Briggs, and Defendant Max Harris. Almena will serve the remainder of his sentence from home, Judge Thompson ruled on Monday, March 8, 2021.Vicki Behringer / Special to The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
Ghost Ship master tenant Derick Almena heard emotional testimony before his sentencing Monday from some of the families of the 36 people killed in the Oakland warehouse fire more than four years ago. The Ghost Ship space in the Fruitvale neighborhood had been host to a number of LGBTQ-friendly events and three of those who died in the December 2, 2016 fire identified as transgender people. It was the deadliest fire in Oakland history.
As part of a plea-bargain worked out with Alameda County prosecutors, Almena pleaded guilty in January to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter in exchange for a 12-year sentence.
Saying it was the most difficult thing she had to do in her life, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Trina Thompson on March 8 sentenced Almena to 12 years, but with credit for time served and good behavior, he will not have to return to jail. Almena will be monitored with an electronic ankle bracelet during a period of home confinement and later be under supervised probat
The master tenant of a San Francisco warehouse that caught fire during a 2016 music festival, killing 36 people, was sentenced to nine years in prison Monday, but is unlikely to serve any more time behind bars.