Guilty Plea

Deepwater Horizon Disaster: Transocean Sentenced

Transocean pleads guilty, sentenced to pay $400-million in penalties for criminal conduct leading to the disaster. Transocean Deepwater Inc. has pleaded guilty to a violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA) for its illegal conduct leading to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, and was sentenced to pay $400 million in criminal fines and penalties, Attorney General Holder announced. In total, the amount of fines and other criminal penalties imposed on Transocean are the second-largest environmental crime recovery in U.S. history – following the historic $4 billion criminal sentence imposed on BP Exploration and Production Inc. in connection with the same disaster. “Transocean’s guilty plea and sentencing are the latest steps in the department’s ongoing efforts to seek justice on behalf of the victims of the Deepwater Horizon disaster,” said Attorney General Holder. “Most of the $400 million criminal recovery – one of the largest for an environmental crime in U.S. history – will go toward protecting, restoring and rebuilding the Gulf Coast region.” “The Deepwater Horizon explosion was a senseless tragedy that could have been avoided,” said Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.  “Eleven men died, and the Gulf’s waters, shorelines, communities and economies suffered enormous damage

Rena Wreck – Master & Second Officer Plead Guilty

Rena officers plead guilty to 10 of 11 charges The Master and Second Officer of the cargo vessel Rena pleaded guilty to 10 out of the 11 charges laid by Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) against the men following an investigation into the ship's grounding on the Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga on 5 October. MNZ charged the Master and the ship’s Second Officer (Navigation) with a number of offences following the ship’s grounding.

Puget Sound Gets $1.7m for Restoration Projects

Fourteen projects to restore Puget Sound, Hood Canal and associated marine waters will take a big step forward this summer with funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Puget Sound Marine Conservation Fund. The Fund was established last year as part of the settlement of a criminal case with Evergreen International Shipping Line. John McKay, United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington, was joined by Jay Manning

Ship owner Convicted for Oil Record Book Violations

The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York said that the owner and the operator of the M/T FAIR VOYAGER were convicted, following their guilty pleas, of six criminal counts. The defendants pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, one count of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, two counts of making false statements to federal authorities, and one count of obstruction of justice – all related to dumping of waste oil and sludge on the high seas and making

Chief Engineer Pleads Guilty in Alaska

Je Yong Lee, Chief Engineer of the M/V Sohoh pled guilty in United States District Court to three federal felony crimes. Defendant Lee admitted to keeping and presenting a false log book that concealed the dumping of waste oil and sludge from his ship, obstructing a United States Coast Guard investigation and witness tampering for telling crew members to lie to a federal grand jury in Anchorage. The plea was announced by Timothy M. Burgess, United States Attorney for Alaska and Thomas L

Offshore Vessels LLC to Pay $2.1M in Penalties

A Louisiana ship-operating company was sentenced in U.S. District Court in New Orleans on charges related to the illegal discharge of oil into the oceans, the Justice Department announced. Offshore Vessels LLC (OSV) was sentenced to pay a criminal fine of $1,750,000 and remit a payment of $350,000 as community service to the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. The community service funds are to be used to study polar water pollution and protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems in the

Scuttling Creates Refuse Leading to Prosecution

The US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts stated that a local man who scuttled his fishing boat off the coast of Gloucester was prosecuted for violation of the Refuse Act of 1899. The individual pled guilty to intentionally sinking the boat rather than spending the money to dispose of it properly. According to the plea agreement, he will pay a fine, compensate the Coast Guard for responding to the sinking, and publish an apology in local newspapers. Source: HK Law

Kassian Maritime Pleads Guilty to Vessel Pollution-Related Charges

Kassian Maritime Navigation Agency Ltd. pleaded guilty to maintaining a false record pertaining to the illegal dumping of bilge and wastewater into the ocean from the M/V North Princess, an ocean-going bulk cargo ship traveling to ports in the United States, in violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. Per the terms of the plea agreement, the defendant will pay a criminal fine $1m, serve a term of probation of 30 months, and pay $300

U.S. Freight Forwarder Pleads Guilty to Criminal Charges

A Kirkland, Wash.-based freight forwarder involved in the military's program for shipping household goods of military and civilian Department of Defense (DOD) personnel between the U.S. and foreign countries pleaded guilty to criminal offenses related to its participation in that program, the Department of Justice announced today. Criminal charges were filed today in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., against Air Van Lines International Inc. (AVLC). Under the terms of a

Ship Operator and Engineers Guilty in Pollution Case

Singapore Ship Operator and Engineers Plead Guilty to Crimes Related to Pollution from Cargo Ship Traveling to Mobile, Alabama; Company Sentenced to Pay $1.2 Million Criminal Penalty.   A ship management company headquartered in Singapore pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in federal court in Mobile for deliberately falsifying records to conceal pollution discharges from the ship directly into the sea.  Target Ship Management Pte. Ltd