Esparto Fireworks Owner Also Accused of Suspected Payroll Fraud, Cheating The State

Eight people were arrested Thursday in connection to the Esparto blast that killed seven people last year. Also behind the these criminal charges was an investigation into another matter: insurance premium fraud.

The company that owned the Esparto facility has been accused of suspected workers’ compensation premium fraud by California, allegedly cheating the state out of thousands of dollars it believes it is owed.

The California Department of Insurance Fraud Division reported that Devastating Pyrotechnics allegedly did not report wages and failed to pay the necessary funding for worker’s compensation, resulting in a loss of $74,099.28 to the state, according to documents obtained by The Sacramento Bee.

Read the entire news article. Sacramento Bee, Joe Rubin, April 10, 2026

NICB assisted the workers’ compensation investigation.