Paul E. Van Voorhees, 56, of Hamburg, NY, has been sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay $6,416.50 in restitution to the United States Coast Guard after deliberately sinking a damaged boat in the Black Rock Canal—a crime that clogged a federal waterway and triggered a full Coast Guard recovery operation.
The act, classified as obstruction of waterways, unfolded on November 5, 2015, when Van Voorhees, then serving as Dock Master at the Buffalo Yacht Club, towed a 13-foot aluminum rowboat from the club’s waters into the canal with another employee. Once in the canal, he released the vessel with the clear intent to sink it, according to federal prosecutors.
A witness spotted the act and immediately alerted the United States Coast Guard. When first questioned, Van Voorhees denied any involvement, claiming he had not released the boat. But under further scrutiny, he changed his story. On December 23, 2015, during a follow-up interview, he admitted he had tried to sink the boat in the canal.
The U.S. Coast Guard eventually recovered the sunken vessel, a move that required resources and manpower from both the Buffalo Sector and the Coast Guard Investigative Service. Captain Brian Roche oversaw the operational response, while Resident Agent in Charge Cindy C. Buckley directed the criminal investigation out of the Buffalo Resident Agent Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango prosecuted the case, emphasizing that Van Voorhees, as Dock Master, was responsible for maintaining the club’s property and water access—not sabotaging federal navigation routes. His actions, though seemingly minor, constituted a federal offense due to the obstruction of a navigable waterway.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer handed down the sentence, citing the defendant’s eventual admission of guilt. Van Voorhees was spared jail time but must now pay restitution and serve a full year under federal probation—paying the price for a crime that turned a quiet canal into a federal crime scene.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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