NEW ORLEANS, LA – A coast guard test-fixing scheme has claimed another guilty plea, this time from a former maritime industry worker. On March 5, 2021, Sharron Robinson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
According to court documents, Robinson acted as an intermediary between Coast Guard exam center employee Beverly McCrary and merchant mariners who were willing to pay for false passing exam scores. These exams tested mariners’ knowledge and training to safely operate under the authority of licenses, which were legally required to work various positions on vessels.
Robinson acknowledged that she would take money from mariners and then pay McCrary for the false scores. McCrary would keep a portion of that money and use the rest to bribe another exam center employee to enter the scores. In some cases, Robinson put mariners directly in touch with McCrary to arrange their payments.
Robinson admitted that, in addition to assisting nine other mariners in obtaining false scores, she also had her own scores fixed. All of these false scores resulted in the Coast Guard issuing unearned licenses. This case is the latest in a string of guilty pleas and convictions related to the Coast Guard test-fixing scheme.
Other defendants have also pleaded guilty in connection with the scheme, including Anthony Garces and Quang Tran, who both pleaded guilty on February 4, 2021 and March 4, 2021, respectively. The maximum penalty for each defendant is five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
The Honorable Barry W. Ashe presided over Robinson’s guilty plea and set a sentencing date of June 10, 2021. This case is being investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon is in charge of the prosecution. U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans reiterated that the indictment’s allegations against Beverly McCrary and Dorothy Smith are merely charges and their guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: White Collar Crime|Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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