Corporate Crime Case Database
Consistent with the Department’s ongoing commitment to transparency in corporate crime cases, the DOJ launched a new case database. While it is still in the process of being populated, it will eventually contain the significant, relevant cases from each component and U.S. Attorney’s Office, resolved since the beginning of 2023.
United States v. Zeaborn Shipmanagement (Singapore) PTE. LTD., et al.
On September 13, 2023, a court sentenced Zeaborn Shipmanagement (Singapore) PTE LTD. (Zeaborn), Captain Alexander Parreno, and Chief Engineer Constancio Estuye. Zeaborn will pay a $1.5 million fine and make a $500,000 community service payment. The company also will complete a four-year term of probation and implement an environmental compliance plan. Parreno and Estuye will pay $2,000 fines; Parreno will complete a one-year term of probation and Estuye will serve two months’ incarceration.
The defendants pleaded guilty to maintaining false and incomplete records relating to the discharge of oily bilge water and garbage on board the vessel Star Maia (33 U.S.C. § 1908(a)).
The defendants illegally burned garbage in barrels onboard the Star Maia and disposed the burnt garbage and barrels directly into the ocean. They illegally discharged oily bilge water from the ship’s engine room directly onto the ocean without using approved pollution prevention equipment. In October 2022, the crew failed to accurately record these disposals in the vessel’s garbage and oil record books as required by U.S. and international law.
The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service conducted the investigation.
United States v. George Walther-Meade and Juan Ruiz Gonzalez
The defendants allegedly conspired to unlawfully enrich themselves by falsely representing Ruiz as a third-party subcontractor assisting business operations in Mexico for an American defense, aviation, information technology, and biomedical research company (Company 1). Walther-Meade was allegedly an employee and executive of Company 1 and, together with Ruiz, caused false invoices to be submitted for work that was never performed in order to induce Company 1 to make payments to Ruiz. Walther-Meade and Ruiz then allegedly used those funds fraudulent obtained from Company 1 for their own personal use and benefit.
United States v. Interunity Management (Deutschland) GMBH, et al.
On May 30, 2023, Interunity Management (Deutschland) GMBH, the corporate operator of the M/V Donald, pleaded guilty to one count of failing to maintain an accurate oil record book (ORB). In May 2022, crewmembers failed to record accurate information in the ORB, including transferring machinery space bilge water from the bilge to the sewage tank, and illegal bilge water discharges.