James J Brady News

United States Attorney Donald J. Cazayoux, Jr., announced that, yesterday, CLEOPATRA SHIPPING AGENCY, LTD., a Greek vessel management company, pled guilty to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and was sentenced to pay a $300,000 fine and serve a three-year term of probation requiring implementation of an environmental compliance program. U.S. District Judge James J. Brady ordered that $150,000 of the fine be awarded to the CLEOPATRA employee who reported the violation to the United States Coast Guard. In pleading guilty, CLEOPATRA agreed to the following facts.

An Alabama resident and master of an inland towing vessel was sentenced Thursday for a January 2004 incident where he was found to be operating in U.S. waters under the influence of alcohol. Daniel L. Ferrell, 63, of Atmore Ala., was sentenced by Judge James J. Brady of the U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge, La., to serve two years probation, 100 hours of community service and will be required to participate in an alcohol assessment program. On Jan. 16, 2004, Ferrell was piloting the City of Port Allen when it struck the Brusly Railroad Lift Bridge on the Port Allen-Morgan City alternate route waterway. Investigators from the Coast Guard's Marine Safety Unit in Baton Rouge who responded to the initial incident tested Ferrell for alcohol.