Inigo Albina, a 57-year-old citizen of the Philippines, was sentenced to 3 years probation and fined $10,000 by U.S. District Judge Stanwood R. Duval, Jr., for obstruction of justice in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1505, announced U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente.
According to court documents, Albina served as the Chief Engineer of the M/T Stolt Facto, a 26,328 gross ton oil tanker, from October 18, 2012, until on or about January 30, 2013.
During his tenure as Chief Engineer of the M/T Stolt Facto, Albina was responsible for the overall operation of the engine room, which included maintaining the Oil Record Book. He made and signed all the entries in the Oil Record Book, stating that the bilge water on the vessel had passed through the Oil Water Separator prior to being discharged overboard.
However, contrary to the statements in the Oil Record Book, the contents of the bilge wells and bilge holding tank were actually pumped into the sewage holding tank with hoses that stretched upward onto the uppermost deck of the engine room and around the floor of the engine control room, bypassing the Oil Water Separator. From the sewage holding tank, the bilge water was discharged into the ocean.
On or about January 15, 2013, the M/T Stolt Facto was boarded by the United States Coast Guard pursuant to its 89(a) authority while the vessel was anchored in the Mississippi River, near New Orleans, Louisiana. During the boarding, the Coast Guard inspectors found the hoses and pump used to bypass the Oil Water Separator.
When questioned by the Coast Guard inspectors, the engine room crew denied that they bypassed the Oil Water Separator, despite some of them having been ordered to assist with the connection of the hoses and pumps. After the Coast Guard’s initial interviews, Albina asked each engineer how he had responded to the Coast Guard’s questions. He then conducted an all-hands meeting with the engineers and lower-level engine room crew, instructing them to deny knowledge of the hoses going to the sewage holding tank bypassing the Oil Water Separator.
Albina admits that he was trying to influence the Coast Guard inspection by telling the crew to lie in order to prevent the Coast Guard from detecting that the hoses and pump were used to bypass. The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard, and the case was prosecuted by Emily Greenfield.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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