Ship Owner, Others, Guilty of Dumping Oily Waste at Sea

SEATTLE (AP) — Officials say a jury has found companies that own and operate a Greek shipping vessel and two ship engineers guilty of felonies related to dumping oily waste at sea in October 2015.

The U.S. Justice Department said ship operator Angelakos, ship owner Gallia Graeca Shipping Ltd., as well as engineers Konstantinos Chrysovergis and Tryfon Angelou were convicted Monday.

The defendants were convicted of 12 counts of violating the act to prevent pollution from ships, falsifying records in a federal investigation and engaging in a scheme to defraud the United States.

Court records say the cargo ship M/V Gallia Graeca traveled from China to Seattle with an inoperable pollution-control device.

Documents say defendants discharged overboard about 5,000 gallons oily bilge water, lied to U.S. Coast Guard inspectors about it and made false statements in the ship's oil record book.