Victims’ families ordered to receive $5,800 each in Ghost Ship case

OAKLAND >> After four years, the criminal case resulting from the 2016 Ghost Ship warehouse fire that killed 36 people has reached its end with a $5.8 million restitution order that those involved doubt will ever be paid.

At a Friday morning court hearing, master tenant Derick Almena was ordered to pay $209,000 in restitution, which comes out to about $5,800 for each of the 36 fire victims. The remaining $5.6 million was split between attorney fees and other court costs, according to an Alameda County District Attorney spokeswoman.

The money is intended to cover funeral costs and the victims’ property, the spokeswoman said.

Almena was not present for the virtual court hearing. He remains on house arrest in Lake County, where his wife and three children moved after the fire, following his plea agreement after a jury hung on whether to convict him of 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Colleen Dolan, whose daughter Chelsea Faith Dolan was among the 36 victims, said in a text message to this newspaper she doesn’t expect the restitution to be paid. She and other family members were hoping for a larger number to dissuade Almena from trying to profit off of the tragedy, she said, though California law forbids people from making money off crimes they’ve been convicted of.

“No attorney is going to file a civil case for this measly amount of money. Almena is free to molest the memory of our 36 Stars, cashing in on the deaths he caused by his willful neglect,” Dolan said.

Last year, the city of Oakland settled a lawsuit brought by families of 32 of the 36 killed for $23.5 million and agreed to pay $9.2 million to Sam Maxwell, who survived the inferno but suffered permanent lifelong injuries and major medical bills. PG&E also settled the civil suit in a confidential agreement.

The Dec. 2, 2016, fire at the warehouse in East Oakland killed 36 people, most of whom were there for a dance party. One victim was a resident of the warehouse.

Following a four-month trial in 2019, a jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of convicting Almena and found then-co-defendant Max Harris not guilty. Almena was supposed to face a retrial this year until the plea deal was announced last January. At the time the deal was accepted, Almena said through his attorney, Tony Serra, that he “sorry beyond sorry” for causing the tragedy.

Civil attorney Mary Alexander, who represented victims’ families in the suit against Oakland, called the victims’ restitution order “Monopoly money” that she doubted “will ever come to fruition.”

“It’s really a feeling of a lack of justice, with regard to (Almena) not being held accountable again,” she said.

“No attorney is going to file a civil case for this measly amount of money. Almena is free to molest the memory of our 36 Stars, cashing in on the deaths he caused by his willful neglect.” — Colleen Dolan