Tanker manager convicted of waste oil dumping
Ionia Management, a Greek company that manages a fleet of tanker vessels, was convicted today for its role in overboard dumping of waste oil from the tanker Kriton into international waters and its efforts to impede the U.S. Coast Guard and other authorities from learning of the dumping, said Ronald J. Tenpas, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
After a two-week trial in New Haven, Conn., the company was convicted on 13 counts of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, three counts of falsifying records in a federal investigation, one count of obstruction of justice, and one count of conspiracy.
The maximum fine on each count is $500,000, for a total maximum fine of $9 million. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 28.
Ionia was convicted of falsifying records to conceal the illegal discharge of oil-contaminated waste and of using and presenting false oil record books and other documents to the Coast Guard.
It was also convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice by destroying the flexible rubber bypass hose used to dump waste overboard, while the Coast Guard was onboard the Kriton conducting its investigation.