A 23-year-old man from Vinalhaven, Maine, has pleaded guilty to making a false distress message to the United States Coast Guard. Owen R. Adair faces up to six years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
On September 30, 2014, Adair initiated a two-way radio conversation using a VHF radio with a radio operator at the United States Coast Guard Sector Northern New England.
Adair repeatedly told the Coast Guard operator that he urgently needed assistance because a crewman on his fishing vessel had sustained a serious injury and was bleeding badly.
In fact, the defendant was not aboard a vessel but was ashore on Vinalhaven Island and was using a VHS radio in his truck. There was no injured person.
The Coast Guard dispatched a search and rescue vessel from Rockland. After a four-hour search, the Coast Guard abandoned its efforts and concluded that the distress call was a hoax.
The investigation was conducted by the Coast Guard Investigative Service.
Contact: Jonathan R. Chapman, Assistant United States Attorney, (207) 780-3257.
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine.
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Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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