First revealed on gCaptain’s Professional Mariner Forum (LINK) last week, the news is now official…John Cota, pilot of the Cosco Busan, has plead guilty to charges and faces jail time. The San Francisco Chronicle tells us:
The pilot of the container ship that struck the Bay Bridge in 2007 and spilled 53,000 gallons of fuel oil pleaded guilty today to federal water pollution charges in an agreement that calls for him to serve two to 10 months in prison.
Capt. John Cota, 61, admitted in a San Francisco courtroom that he acted negligently in piloting the 901-foot-long Cosco Busan in a heavy morning fog Nov. 7, 2007. He also admitted failing to disclose all the prescription drugs he was taking when he renewed his federal and state pilot’s licenses in 2006 and 2007.
But his negotiated plea agreement nearly fell apart when a prosecutor read a lengthy account of Cota’s alleged misdeeds and his lawyer protested that it was full of inaccuracies.
“An incompetent, untrained crew and mistakes by the Coast Guard” contributed to the accident, defense attorney Jeffrey Bornstein told U.S. District Judge Susan Illston.
Illston reproached Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Schmidt for “arguing for the grandstand,” but accepted Cota’s guilty plea to misdemeanor charges of violating the Clean Water Act and the Migratory Bird Act. She scheduled sentencing for June 19.
Besides imprisonment, the plea agreement includes a fine of between $3,000 and $30,000. Cota, a vessel pilot for 26 years, has surrendered his license and said in his plea agreement that he would not reapply until January 2010. Read More…
The question remains… What are the implications for the maritime industry?
NEW ORLEANS, LA (gCaptain) In a high-profile case involving environmental crimes at sea, two corporations—Privé Overseas Marine and Privé Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret—received their sentences last week in federal court in...
An oil spill from the MSC Apollo containership in Algoa Bay, South Africa, is currently under investigation by authorities as its impact on local wildlife becomes apparent. The South African...
TELDE, Sept 5 (Reuters) – An oil spill off the Spanish island of Gran Canaria forced local authorities to close several beaches in the popular holiday destination on Thursday and declare an...
September 5, 2024
Total Views: 1397
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.