Mark Szakonyi, Associate Editor | Mar 27, 2012 5:19PM EDT
The Department of Justice ordered Illios Shipping to pay $2 million in criminal fines after the Greek carrier admitted to illegally dumping waste and destroying related records.
The Agios Emilanos, a bulk carrier, regularly discharged oily bilge waste and sludge while shipping grain from New Orleans to ports across the world between April 2009 and April 2011, according to the DOJ. The master of the vessel, Valention Mislang, previously pleaded guilty to and was sentenced for conspiracy to obstruct justice after he destroyed evidence and told his crew to lie to the Coast Guard during an inspection last April.
Mislang said a senior manager of Illios directed him to destroy computer records and order the crew to lie to Coast Guard officials. The engineer of the vessel, Romulo Esperas, previously pleaded guilty to and was sentenced for conspiracy of justice for falsifying the vessel’s oil record book and ordering the discharge of waste.
Of the $2 million penalty, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will receive $250,000 to be used for restoration projects in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Under the company’s probation settlement, Illios is required to implement an environmental complaint plan, and an independent agency will monitor the carrier’s performance.
Contact Mark Szakonyi at mszakonyi@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @mszakonyi_joc.
