Greek Shipping Company Sentenced in New Orleans for Pollution
WASHINGTON – Ilios Shipping Company S.A. was sentenced today in federal court in New Orleans for violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and obstruction of justice, announced Assistant Attorney General Ignacia S. Moreno and Jim Letten, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Ilios operated the M/V Agios Emilianos, a 738-foot, 36,573 ton bulk carrier cargo ship which hauled grain from New Orleans to various ports around the world. According to the plea agreement…
DRD Towing Sentenced for Mississippi River Spill
DRD Towing Company, LLC., a marine company located in Harvey, Louisiana, was sentenced in federal court by U. S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle to two years probation for violation of Ports and Waterways Safety Act and a misdemeanor violation of the Clean Water Act and a $200,000 fine, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten. In addition, Randall Dantin, age 46, a resident of Marrero, Louisiana and co-owner of DRD Towing, was sentenced to twenty-one months imprisonment in a separate charge of obstruction of justice. Dantin was also ordered to pay a $50,000 fine and serve two years supervised release during which time he will be under federal supervision and risks additional imprisonment should he violate any terms of the release.
Research Vessel Chief Engineer Sentenced for Falsifying Records
In the district court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced Michael Murphy, a former chief engineer employed by Offshore Vessels, LLC (OSV), to two years probation. Judge Vance also ordered Murphy to pay a criminal fine of $5,000. On Oct. 20, 2010, Murphy pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with submitting a false statement, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001. Murphy had served aboard the R/V Laurence M. (L.M.) Gould (R/V Gould), a 2,966 gross ton American-flagged ship owned by OSV that served as an ice-breaking research vessel for the National Science Foundation on research voyages to and from Antarctica. Murphy admitted that on or about Sep.
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 Antarctic region. OSV also will serve a period of probation for three years, during which it will be required to operate under an Environmental Compliance Plan.
DRD Towing, Owner Plead Guilty, 2008 Spill in Mississippi River
DRD Towing Company, LLC., a marine company located in Harvey, La., pled guilty in federal court on Sept. 8 before U.S. District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle to a felony violation of Ports and Waterways Safety Act and a misdemeanor violation of the Clean Water Act, announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten. In addition, Randall Dantin, age 46, a resident of Marrero, La. and co-owner of DRD Towing also pled guilty to a separate charge of obstruction of justice. According to the court documents, DRD Towing Company, LLC. pled guilty to creating hazardous conditions by (1) assigning employees without proper Coast Guard licenses to operate certain vessels…
Irika Shipping $4M Penalty for Concealing Pollution
Irika Shipping S.A., a ship management corporation registered in Panama and doing business in Greece, pleaded guilty on July 8, 2010 before Maryland U.S. District Court Judge Frederick J. Motz, to felony obstruction of justice charges and violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships related to concealing deliberate vessel pollution from the M/V Iorana, a Greek flagged cargo ship that made port calls in Baltimore, Tacoma, Wash., and New Orleans. According to the multi-district plea agreement arising out of charges brought in the District of Maryland, Western District of Washington, and Eastern District of Louisiana, Irika Shipping has agreed to pay a $4m total penalty…
Mariner Pleads Guilty-Illegal License
The maximum statutory penalty Millien faces is five (5) years incarceration, a $250,000 fine, not more than three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. Millien was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 28, 2008 and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 21, 2009. This case was investigated by Special Agents of the United States Coast Guard Criminal Investigative Service. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Edward J. Rivera and Dorothy Manning Taylor. (Source: Attorney’s Office-Eastern District of Louisiana)
