Ex-Master Arraigned on Criminal Charges of Sexually Assaulting USMMA Cadet

A former master in the U.S. merchant marine has been arraigned on charges that he sexually assaulted a cadet from the U.S. Merchant Marie Academy assigned to the bulker he was commanding in 2019. Lawyers for the victim are hailing it as a watershed moment in U.S. justice highlighting that it is the first time in more than a generation that criminal charges have been brought in this type of assault at sea.

The case came to light in 2022 as part of a larger scandal in which female cadets at the service academy spoke up about the culture at sea and the school and the assaults they had experienced. The first two cadets, then known as Midshipmen X and Y, settled complaints out of court with the shipping line while it prompted a broader investigation into the academy’s Sea Year when cadets are assigned to working ships as well as the environment on a campus in Kings Point, New York.

The case of Captain John Merrone was first exposed by CNN in October 2022 which reported that two cadets were alleging that he had drugged and assaulted them in his stateroom. According to a Coast Guard administrative complaint obtained by CNN, the two cadets were called to the captain's stateroom, and he offered them both a drink. They told the Coast Guard that they became incapacitated, at which point the master allegedly raped one and attempted to assault the other.

The U.S. Department of Justice arraigned Merrone today, June 5, 2025, on five counts related to sexual assault, drugging the victims to become incapacitated, and assaulting them while they were incapacitated. He voluntarily surrendered to the FBI in South Carolina where he lives and was brought to Brooklyn, New York for the arraignment. 

“This is a watershed moment for the maritime industry,” said attorney Ryan Melogy, founder of Justice4Mariners, who represents the victims. “We have not seen the DOJ bring criminal charges for a sexual assault at sea aboard a U.S.-flag cargo vessel in more than a generation. This is a huge, historic turning point for maritime safety.”

Court papers revealed the assaults happened in 2019 aboard the U.S. flagged bulker Liberty Glory, operated by Liberty Maritime of New York. 

Merrone voluntarily surrendered his license in October 2022 after the case became public and it was reported that the U.S. Coast Guard was pursuing an administrative action against the master. Media reports at the time said he was being accused of both sexual assault and violating company policies on the use of alcohol. By surrendering the license, he was able to stop the USCG action and reports said the union also expelled him.

It came out in the media reports that Merrone had also been accused in 2011 of sexually assaulting a woman in Florida. A jury convicted Merrone of false imprisonment and two counts of simple battery, but an appeals court reversed the conviction in 2013. Merrone retained his license and continued to sail. It was unclear if the case had been disclosed to either the USCG or his employer.

“This case is about more than one captain — it’s about a broken system consisting of U.S. government agencies, maritime labor unions, and commercial shipping companies that have worked cooperatively for decades to protect known sexual predators and silence their victims,” added Melogy.

While Merrone is the first in years to be arraigned in federal court on criminal sexual assault charges, other seafarers have also faced charges in the broader scandal which also led to reforms in the Sea Year program and at USMMA. In 2023, an electrician who had been accused of sexually harassing Midshipman Y also voluntarily surrendered his license before the USCG could convene its action against him.