Plea Deal Reached in Shipping Pollution Case, Whistleblower to Receive Hefty Reward

Greek shipping company, Efploia Shipping, has pleaded guilty to polluting at sea and trying to cover it up. It has come to a plea agreement in a Baltimore federal court, as that is where the informer notified the Coast Guard. Officials boarded the freighter, M/V Aquarosa, in February 2011.

To save time at port, some ships tend to illegally dump used oil and sludge at sea. A crew member on board the ship alerted officials to the dumping incident, which generally makes a case possible in these instances.

Under the plea deal, the company has entered guilty to four different counts including falsifying documents and obstruction of justice. There will be an initial fine of $925,000 for Efploia, as well as another $275,000 charge intended to go towards cleaning the Chesapeake.

Whistleblower, engineer Salvatore Lopez, could get up to $400,000 for his help after taking pictures of the ship’s illegal onboard activities on his cell phone. The Filipino has expressed his desperation for money as he is now being blacklisted due to the trial. Ultimately, the judge decides how much compensation he will actually receive.

Past cases documented have led to convictions and firmer fines. This is the first of two plea agreements expected in the case. The ship owner has been charged, as well as the ship’s manager.