What Crew Members Say About Ps-Dream

In a decisive legal ruling on September 27, 2024, a federal court in New Orleans mandated a hefty $2 million fine against Prive Overseas Marine LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret, the operators of the 'PS Dream.' This penalty stems from their guilty pleas in May regarding serious charges that included conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). Additionally, Captain Abdurrahman Korkmaz, a 37-year-old Turkish national and the ship's master, faced separate legal repercussions. On September 10, the court sentenced Korkmaz to eight months imprisonment for his role in the environmental offense and for hampering a U.S. Coast Guard investigation. The case centered on the 'PS Dream' during its approach to New Orleans in January 2023, where evidence emerged that Korkmaz had orchestrated the illegal discharge of oil-contaminated waste from the ship. Senior managers were reportedly privy to Korkmaz’s directive to pump waste overboard into the Gulf of Mexico and instructed the crew to mislead authorities by cleaning the tank and falsifying the vessel’s oil record book to conceal the discharge. A whistleblower among the crew took action by alerting the Coast Guard and providing video footage that showcased the oil discharge and the subsequent sheen on the water. Furthermore, upon docking in Louisiana, another crew member presented a recording revealing discussions about the illicit discharge, further implicating the vessel's operations in environmental wrongdoing.

On June 11, 2024, a Turkish captain of the tanker 'PS Dream' entered a guilty plea in Louisiana Court, admitting to egregious violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) as well as obstruction of justice through the submission of falsified documents. This legal development follows guilty pleas from two tanker operators the previous month. The case unfolded after a crew member alerted the U.S. Coast Guard in Orleans, sharing incriminating photos and videos that depicted oil being discharged overboard and trailing behind the vessel on January 11, 2023—only two weeks prior to the tanker's scheduled arrival at the Port of New Orleans. During a routine inspection on January 26, 2023, the U.S. Coast Guard identified nine significant violations, including inadequate pollution prevention measures, discrepancies with onboard certifications, and malfunctions in the gyro compass and ventilation system of the 'PS Dream.' The captain confessed to presenting false logbooks to the Coast Guard inspectors, essentially concealing the crew's illegal disposal of contaminated oil waste into the sea on January 11, thus breaching international pollution regulations. He also revealed that he had instructed the crew to utilize a portable pump to release the oily waste directly into the ocean. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the captain now faces sentencing on September 10, where he may receive a prison sentence of up to six years and a monetary fine as high as $250,000, or double the profit or loss stemming from the APPS violation. Additionally, he could face another five years of incarceration for the obstruction charges along with a similar financial penalty.

On May 21, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Prive Overseas Marine LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret, the operators of the vessel 'PS Dream', have entered guilty pleas for serious violations of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). The companies are accused of intentionally misleading authorities by submitting false oil record reports. This significant development took place at the federal court in Orleans, where Chief Justice of the U.S. District Court oversaw the proceedings. If sentenced, the companies could face a hefty fine of $2 million along with a four-year probation period. Furthermore, the captain of the PS Dream faces separate charges in this case. The investigation was triggered on January 11, 2023, when a vigilant crew member alerted the Coast Guard of Orleans by sharing a video that captured oil being discharged overboard, trailing from the vessel. Following this incident, the PS Dream docked at New Orleans two weeks later, where the crew member provided the incriminating video as evidence to the authorities.