Bill Baer News

Three former executives of ocean freight shipping firms have been indicted for participating in a long-running price-fixing conspiracy, the U.S. Justice Department announced. The executives – Yoshiyuki Aoki, Masahiro Kato and Shunichi Kusunose – have been brought up on felony charges for allegedly allocating customers and routes, rigging bids and fixing prices for the sale of international ocean shipments of roll-on, roll-off cargo to and from the U.S. and elsewhere, including the Port of Baltimore. The affected cargo included cars, trucks, construction equipment and agricultural equipment.

An executive of Japan-based Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. (K-Line) was sentenced to 18 months in a U.S. prison after pleading guilty to his involvement in a conspiracy to fix prices, allocate customers and rig bids of international ocean shipping services for roll-on, roll-off cargo to and from the United States and elsewhere, the Department of Justice announced. According to the one-count felony charge filed in U.S. District Court of the District of Maryland in Baltimore on Jan. 22, 2015, Toru Otoda, who was a general manager in K-Line’s car carrier division, conspired to allocate customers and routes, rig bids and fix prices for the sale of international ocean shipments of roll-on, roll-off cargo to and from the United States and elsewhere, including the Port of Baltimore.

An employee of Japan-based Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) pleaded guilty today and was sentenced to 15 months in a U.S. prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to fix prices, allocate customers and rig bids of international ocean shipping services for roll-on, roll-off cargo, such as cars and trucks, to and from the United States and elsewhere, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. According to the one-count felony charge filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in Baltimore on Jan.

A former executive of Japan-based Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. (K-Line) pleaded guilty Friday, February 6, and was sentenced to 14 months in a U.S. prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to fix prices, allocate customers and rig bids of international ocean shipping services for roll-on, roll-off cargo, such as cars and trucks, to and from the United States and elsewhere, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. According to the one-count felony charge filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in Baltimore on Dec. 29, 2014, Takashi Yamaguchi, who was a general manager and executive officer in K-Line’s car carrier division…

An executive of Japan-based Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. (K-Line) pleaded guilty Friday, January 30 and was sentenced to 18 months in a U.S. prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to fix prices, allocate customers and rig bids of international ocean shipping services for roll-on, roll-off cargo, such as cars and trucks, to and from the United States and elsewhere, the U.S. Department of Justice announced today. According to the one-count felony charge filed today in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in Baltimore, Hiroshige Tanioka, who was at various times an assistant manager, team leader and general manager in K-Line’s car carrier division…

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. (K-Line), a Japanese corporation, has agreed to plead guilty and to pay a $67.7 million criminal fine for its involvement in a conspiracy to fix prices, allocate customers, and rig bids of international ocean shipping services for roll-on, roll-off cargo, such as cars and trucks, to and from the United States and elsewhere, the Department of Justice announced today. According to a one-count felony charge filed today in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in Baltimore…

South American Company Agrees to Plead Guilty to Price Fixing on Ocean Shipping Services for Cars and Trucks. First Charges in the Department’s Antitrust Investigation Involving Ocean Shipping Services; Conspiracy Affected Global Cargo Shipments, Including at Port of Baltimore. Compañía Sud Americana de Vapores S.A. (CSAV), a Chilean corporation, has agreed to plead guilty and to pay an $8.9 million criminal fine for its involvement in a conspiracy to fix prices, allocate customers and rig bids of international ocean shipping services for roll-on…

Reuters –  Chilean shipping firm Compania Sudamericana de Vapores has agreed to plead guilty to a price-fixing conspiracy and pay an $8.9 million criminal fine to the U.S. government, the U.S. Justice Department informs. The Justice Department's anti-trust prosecutors said in a statement that the company had conspired to rig bids to push up prices of shipping cargo such as cars and trucks to and from the United States. "Today's charges are the first to be filed in the Antitrust Division's investigation into bid rigging and price fixing of ocean shipping services," said Bill Baer, assistant attorney general in charge of the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division.

Former Executive Convicted for Role in Price-Fixing Conspiracy Involving Coastal Freight Services Between the Continental United States and Puerto Rico. Following a two-week trial, a federal jury in Puerto Rico today convicted a former executive of a Florida-based coastal water freight transportation company for his participation in a conspiracy to fix rates and surcharges for water transportation of freight between the continental United States and Puerto Rico, the Department of Justice announced. Frank Peake, the former president of Sea Star Line LLC, was found guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico…