Captain Abdurrahman Korkmaz, the captain of the PS Dream, has pleaded guilty to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and obstructing proceedings. The Turkish national, 37, was at the helm when the vessel arrived in New Orleans on January 26, 2023, only to be inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard.
During the inspection, Korkmaz presented oil record books that he knew omitted information about discharging oily waste into the ocean prior to entering U.S. waters. The falsified logs aimed to hide the fact that the crew had been dumping oil-contaminated waste overboard since January 11th, in violation of international treaties on oil pollution.
The court documents and statements reveal that Korkmaz ordered his crew to pump oily waste from the residual oil tank directly into the ocean using a portable pump. The sludge originated from the engine room and was improperly transferred by a previous crew. Senior managers at Prive Shipping LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret, the companies operating the PS Dream, were aware of the illegal disposal and have already pleaded guilty.
Korkmaz faces a maximum penalty of six years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines for the APPS charge. For obstructing proceedings, he could be sentenced to five years in prison and the same fine. Sentencing will be determined by September 10th, following consideration of U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The investigation was conducted by the Coast Guard Investigative Service and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigations Division, with assistance from U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans. The Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section is prosecuting the case, led by Senior Litigation Counsel Richard A. Udell and Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors.
RELATED: Turkish Tanker Captain Dumps Oil Waste, Faces 6 Years
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Environmental Crimes|Public Corruption|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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