New Orleans – A shocking scam at a United States Coast Guard (USCG) exam center has led to the indictment of eight merchant mariners, including RANSFORD ACKAH, NATHANIEL DOMINICK, ODELL GRIGGS, DEVIN HEBERT, RAYNEL LEWIS, ADRIAN MACK, MAURICE PALMER, and DERRICK WARD.
The defendants, accused of obtaining officer-level licenses through falsified exam scores, are facing serious charges. The fraudulent scores were designed to test mariners’ knowledge for safe operations under the authority of those licenses.
This case has its roots in an earlier investigation that led to the indictment of former Coast Guard credentialing specialist Dorothy Smith, who is accused of accepting bribes for false passing examination scores. Twenty-eight mariners were charged in the initial indictment and have all pled guilty, with Smith and two other ex-Coast Guard employees awaiting trial.
If convicted, each defendant could face up to five years’ imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans emphasized that the charges are merely accusations and that guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service is handling this case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon leading the prosecution.
Stay tuned as this gripping corruption story develops in Louisiana’s courtrooms.
Related Federal Cases
- Louisiana Conspirator Pleads Guilty in Emissions Fraud Scam · New York
- Louisiana Nursing Home Owner Hit With Exclusion Due to Squalid Conditions, Deaths · Louisiana
- Louisiana Grand Jury Indicts NY Doc for Abortion Care · New York
- Tyrone Bradshaw Sentenced for Sex Offender Registration Fraud · Louisiana
- Angel Enocornerjo-Moreno Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry in Louisiana · Louisiana
Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
