California Man Sentenced for Actions Aboard Cruise Ship
| U.S. Attorney’s Office March 07, 2012 |
TAMPA—U.S. Attorney Robert E. O’Neill announces that U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday yesterday sentenced Rick Ehlert (45, Thousand Oaks, California) to four months of incarceration—two months to be served in federal prison, two months on house arrest—for attempting to damage a maritime facility.
According to the plea agreement, on November 27, 2010, Ehlert attempted to cause damage to the MS Ryndam, a cruise ship, while it was in international waters, by unlawfully dropping the stern anchor on board the ship while the ship was in motion. Additionally, he attempted to destroy or disable a life buoy, an item intended to be used in connection with an emergency on board the MS Ryndam, by throwing it overboard.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Coast Guard. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara C. Sweeney and Austin D. Shutt.