Two Greek shipping companies pleaded guilty and were sentenced for violating the U.S. Protection from Pollution from Ships Act (APPS), which implements the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), falsifying records and obstructing justice.
It was revealed that the two were sentenced in late December 2024. The crew of the oil/chemical tanker Kriti Ruby provided false records to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to conceal the illegal transfer and discharge of oily bilge water on board.
Court records and statements made during the proceedings show that the vessel involved was registered in Greece, owned by Avin International and operated by Kriti Ruby Special Maritime Enterprises. It is understood the companies were ordered to pay as part of their defense $3,375,000 in criminal fines and $1,125,000 in community service fees National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The companies were also sentenced to five years of probation, during which they will be monitored by environmental compliance programs to ensure future compliance, the U.S. government said.
According to the explanation, Avin International and Kriti Ruby Special Maritime Enterprises were sentenced for violating APPS regulations in May and September 2022, respectively, during tanker calls at the Sewaren Terminal in the Port of Jacksonville, Florida, and Newark, New Jersey. The companies were also convicted of falsifying records and perverting the course of justice during a port call in September 2022.
“Today’s request demonstrates our unwavering commitment to working with the Environmental Crimes Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure compliance with important domestic oil pollution laws and to hold those who violate these laws accountable,” the rear admiral said Michael E. PlattCommander, U.S. Coast Guard 1st Sector.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey reflects on the finalization of proceedings Philip Salingerfurther comments: “Ocean pollution is extremely harmful to the environment and difficult to detect, especially when polluters take elaborate steps to falsify records to hide their crimes. Laws that protect our oceans exist for a reason, and we will work with our law enforcement partners to Ensure these laws are followed and violators punished.
Touching murky waters: sinking deeper into cover-up
The U.S. Public Affairs Office detailed that between May and September 2022, crew members repeatedly bypassed required anti-pollution equipment and discharged oily waste into the sea through the ship’s sewage system.
They failed to record these discharges in the ship’s oil record book, and to make them difficult for the U.S. Coast Guard to detect, the crew hid most of the pumps and hoses used to conduct the bypass operations in a sealed void space. “cofferdam.”
Former Chief Engineer at Kriti Ruby, Constantinos Azaliswas sentenced to time served and fined $5,000 after pleading guilty to two counts of violating APPS. According to U.S. government agencies, Atsalis admitted that the ship’s crew deliberately bypassed required anti-pollution equipment and discharged oily waste from the ship’s engine rooms into the sea through the sewage system, including near the oil unloading facility at Sewaren.
What’s more, Azalis reportedly admitted that he falsified the ship’s Oil Record Book (ORB) – a required logbook for regular inspections by the U.S. Coast Guard – thereby failing to record illegal activity. He also admitted that before the Coast Guard boarded the ship, he directed the crew to hide equipment used to transfer oily waste from the engine’s bilge well to the bilge tank.
Second tube wheel Sonny Bossito Also pleaded guilty to an APPS violation and was sentenced to prison for falsifying records to conceal pollution, which were later submitted to the U.S. Coast Guard during its inspection of the vessel.
Assistant Attorney General reflects on incident and aftermath Todd King The Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) shares: “It is illegal to put profits over the environment by discharging oily waste into the sea and working to cover up the pollution. We are committed to enforcing the law and fighting ocean pollution.
Brief exploration of further environmental violations
Time goes back to 2023, U.S. government fines Greece-based shipping companies Empire Bulkers Limited and Joanna Maritime Limited committed willful breaches of APPS and the Ports and Waterways Security Act in their capacity as operators and owners of the motor vessel (M/V) Joanna.
It is understood the companies were ordered to pay $2 million ($1 million each) for the violations, in addition to serving four years in prison under the terms of a government-approved environmental compliance plan.
Prive Shipping and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret pleaded guilty to environmental crimes in June 2024 after the Panamanian-flagged PS Dream tanker deliberately dumped oil. The vessel’s captain also admitted two charges charging him with breaching the APPS and obstructing proceedings.
That is, after the tanker arrived in New Orleans on January 26, 2023, the U.S. Coast Guard conducted an inspection and reviewed the ship’s oil record book. According to court documents and statements, Korkmaz allegedly directed the crew to discharge oily waste from the residual tank overboard. The U.S. Department of Justice revealed that the captain admitted in his plea that he submitted the books to the Coast Guard but knew that “critical” information was missing from the reports.