Man pleads guilty to deaths of 36 people in warehouse fire
FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2016, file photo is the front of The Ghost Ship warehouse damaged from a deadly fire in Oakland, Calif. Relatives of some of the 36 partygoers killed at a San Francisco Bay Area warehouse fire say prosecutors told them Derick Almena, who is accused of illegally converting the warehouse into a cluttered artists enclave, is expected to plead guilty later this month. The victims' relatives told the East Bay Times that Almena is expected to plead guilty to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter on Jan. 22, 2021, ahead of his second trial. Derick Almena, 50, pleaded guilty to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter in exchange for a 12-year sentence. The jury also found co-defendant Max Harris, who was the Ghost Ship's โcreative directorโ and would collect rent, not guilty at the same trial.