Former Ship Captain Pleads Guilty to Drugging, Raping U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Cadet at Sea

Former Ship Captain Pleads Guilty to Drugging, Raping U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Cadet at Sea reports the end of a closely watched maritime prosecution ahead of trial. John Merrone, a former captain of a U.S.-flagged cargo ship, pleaded guilty in federal court in Brooklyn to all five counts of an indictment, including aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, and abusive sexual contact. The plea was entered Friday after a jury was already selected. Under federal law, Merrone faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Prosecutors said that in September 2019, while the vessel Liberty Glory was sailing through the Atlantic Ocean en route to Corpus Christi, Texas, Merrone knowingly administered an intoxicating substance to a 21-year-old cadet without her knowledge or consent, leaving her incapacitated before sexually assaulting her. The DOJ and FBI said the case involved abuse of command authority during the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s Sea Year program. The victim reported the assault to her mother and a friend after returning to the U.S., sought medical care, and reported it to law enforcement in 2021.