The Justice Department has indicted two corporate entities and a shoreside superintendent in connection with the vessel that caused the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland.

“A federal court unsealed an indictment today charging three defendants with conspiracy to defraud the United States and with causing the death of six construction workers on the bridge, among other charges,” the Justice Department stated in a release.

“The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a preventable tragedy of enormous consequence,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

“This indictment is a critical step toward holding accountable those whose reckless disregard for maritime safety regulations caused this disaster. Six construction workers lost their lives, critical infrastructure was destroyed, pollutants were released into the Patapsco River and Chesapeake Bay, and the economic damage now exceeds five billion dollars. This Department is committed to securing justice for the victims and ensuring those responsible are held to account,” he continued.

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On March 26, 2024, the Motor Vessel Dali, a 900-foot foreign flag container vessel, registered in Singapore, crashed into the bridge. The indictment alleges that the economic loss in this case is at least $5 billion.

Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd, based in Chennai, India, along with Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national who worked for both companies as the Technical Superintendent for the Dali, are charged with conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and false statements. The two Synergy corporations are also charged with misdemeanor violations of the Clean Water Act, Oil Pollution Act, and Refuse Act for the discharge of pollutants into the Patapsco River, including shipping containers and their contents, oil, and the bridge itself.

“This indictment is the first step in our efforts to hold those accountable who caused the tragic deaths of six people and catastrophic damage to our region,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland.

“The safety of our residents, ports, and infrastructure is of utmost importance to the prosperity of the District of Maryland. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland will continue to pursue those who commit crimes that jeopardize those interests,” Hayes continued.

“The indictment alleges criminal conduct that not only destroyed the Key Bridge but brought the regional economy to its knees and claimed the lives of six Maryland residents,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD).

“Adherence to laws governing safe operation of commercial vessels is essential to doing business in our nation’s ports. We enforce these laws to protect the public from future disasters like this fatal crash,” Gustafson added.

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Following the crash, the FBI and US Coast Guard opened a criminal investigation. Several members of the crew, who were not US citizens, were told to remain in the country as the investigation continued.

In December of last year, the National Transportation Safety Board issued its final report on the incident, which concluded that a wire label had slid over a covering keeping that wire from establishing a proper connection with the circuit breaker.

This caused power outages on the ship, the Dali, as it was leaving the port of Baltimore. Despite the crew’s failed efforts to “recover propulsion from the loss of electrical power,” the report says, the Dali careened into the bridge minutes later.

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In November, NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said finding the loose wire in a ship the size of the Dali would be like finding a loose bolt in the Eiffel Tower.

The NTSB report also found the bridge had significant structural risk never evaluated by the Maryland Transportation Authority.

According to the indictment, the defendants allegedly altered the ship and relied on a flushing pump to supply fuel to two of the Dali’s four generators. The flushing pump was not designed to automatically restart following a blackout, and the Dali’s generators could not operate without a fuel supply, so the ship ultimately experienced a second blackout, the Justice Department says.

The Justice Department said that if the ship had not been relying on the flushing pump, power would have been restored, preventing the crash.

 

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