Valentino Mislang, Obstruction of Justice, Louisiana 2011

A Greek shipping company has been held accountable for its role in the intentional cover-up of oil pollution and obstruction of justice. Ilios Shipping Company S.A., a 738-foot bulk carrier cargo ship, was found guilty of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and obstruction of justice.

According to the plea agreement, from April 2009 until April 2011, oily bilge waste and sludge were routinely discharged from the vessel directly into the sea without the use of required pollution prevention equipment. The crew intentionally covered up the illegal discharges of oil waste by falsifying the vessel’s oil record book.

The master of the vessel, Valentino Mislang, previously pleaded guilty to and was sentenced for conspiracy to obstruct justice for his role in destroying evidence and instructing crewmembers to lie to the Coast Guard during an inspection of the vessel in April 2011. Mislang stated that a senior manager of Ilios directed the destruction of computer records and ordered Mislang to tell crewmembers to lie to the Coast Guard.

The chief engineer of the vessel, Romulo Esperas, previously pleaded guilty to and was sentenced for conspiracy to obstruct justice for his role in falsifying the vessel’s oil record book and directing the discharge of oily bilge waste and sludge directly into the sea. Esperas stated that a senior manager of Ilios directed him to discharge the vessel’s oily waste into the sea and refused to provide funding for the proper discharge of the oily waste to shore-side facilities.

Both Mislang and Esperas were sentenced to three years of unsupervised release and are not permitted to re-enter the United States during that time.

Ilios Shipping Company S.A. was sentenced to pay an overall criminal penalty of $2 million. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will receive $250,000 to fund projects aimed at the restoration of marine and aquatic resources in Louisiana.

The case serves as a reminder of the importance of holding companies accountable for their actions and protecting our environment. The U.S. Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency, and other partners worked tirelessly to investigate and prosecute this case.

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