A federal court in New Orleans has sentenced Captain Abdurrahman Korkmaz to eight months in prison and imposed a $2 million criminal penalty on two corporations—Prive Overseas Marine LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret—for their roles in violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and obstructing a U.S. Coast Guard investigation.
The charges stem from an incident aboard the motor tanker P/S Dream in January 2023, when Korkmaz and senior corporate managers conspired to illegally discharge oil-contaminated waste into the ocean during the ship’s journey to New Orleans. According to the Department of Justice, Korkmaz ordered crew members to pump the waste overboard over a period of three days and clean the tank with soap. The ship’s oil record book was falsified to conceal the act, omitting any mention of the discharge.
A whistleblower crew member provided video evidence of the discharge to the Coast Guard, which triggered an investigation upon the vessel’s arrival in Louisiana. Another crew member came forward with additional recordings, revealing that corporate representatives knew about the dumping of oil-contaminated waste.
The court imposed a $2 million penalty, which includes $500,000 earmarked for environmental community service projects in the Eastern District of Louisiana, managed by the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation. Both companies also received four years of probation and must adhere to an environmental compliance plan that mandates audits and inspections over the probationary period.
Korkmaz, a Turkish national, was sentenced for his role in orchestrating the illegal discharge and attempting to obstruct the U.S. Coast Guard's investigation by presenting falsified logs.
The corporations involved—Prive Overseas Marine, based in Dubai, and Prive Shipping, headquartered in Turkey—pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction charges in May. Their probation conditions include stricter environmental oversight to prevent future incidents.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division emphasized that this case underscores the government’s commitment to holding polluters accountable, especially when environmental regulations like the MARPOL Annex I treaty are violated.
The case was investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the EPA’s Criminal Investigations Division, and the Coast Guard Sector New Orleans. The prosecution was led by attorneys from the Environment and Natural Resources Division and the Eastern District of Louisiana.
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