Baltimore, Maryland - Two corporate entities and a shoreside superintendent face criminal charges in connection with the vessel crash that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

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.

On March 26, 2024, the Motor Vessel Dali, a 900-foot foreign flag container vessel, registered in Singapore, crashed into the Maryland 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.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson, Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD); Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office; Acting Director Zinnia James, Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS); and Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall, Environmental Protection Agency - Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID).

"The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a preventable tragedy of enormous consequence," Blanche said. "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."

"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," Hayes said. "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."

"The indictment alleges criminal conduct that led to the deaths of six Maryland residents, the destruction of the Key Bridge, and the discharge of pollution into the Patapsco River, causing billions of dollars of damage," Gustafson said. "Following the laws for safe operation of commercial vessels is essential to doing business in our nation's ports, especially the Port of Baltimore which sits on the Chesapeake Bay - our country's largest estuary. Enforcing these laws is necessary to prevent disastrous consequences like the one that brought us here today."

"The indictment reveals a pattern of deception and egregious violations that led to the unsafe operation of the Dali which recklessly endangered the public and resulted in the ship striking the bridge," Paul said. "This indictment should send a message to all ship operators that circumventing safety requirements and breaking U.S. laws will not be tolerated. I am proud of FBI Baltimore's investigative teams who worked diligently over the last two years to find the truth and to hold those responsible accountable."

"At the core of the Coast Guard's mission is the protection of life and property and the facilitation of commerce," James said. "The charges announced today reflect the Coast Guard Investigative Service's unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and integrity of our nation's maritime transportation system. This indictment alleges a reckless disregard for U.S. maritime laws and safety regulations, which had devastating consequences, leading to the tragic loss of six lives and catastrophic environmental and economic damage. Let this be a clear message: CGIS, alongside our federal law enforcement partners, will vigorously investigate and hold accountable any individual or corporation that compromises the safety of our ports and waterways."

"The United States will not be a safe harbor for violators who pollute our nation's waterways. Today's indictment alleges that reckless cost-cutting by dishonest foreign corporations on a foreign-flagged vessel with a foreign crew carrying hazardous cargo resulted in death, disruption of our economy, and the discharge of oil and other chemicals into the Patapsco River and the Chesapeake Bay," Hall said. "Such tragedy must not happen again. This EPA will ensure that foreign companies do not profit off of polluting American communities. The hard work of our criminal investigators, who were among the first aboard the wrecked ship, was critical for securing this indictment, and we look forward to working with the Department of Justice to prosecute this case."

According to the indictment, the Dali lost power twice in a four-minute span, as it navigated out to sea from the Port of Baltimore, causing it to crash into the Key Bridge. The indictment alleges that a loose wire in a high-voltage switchboard likely caused the first power loss. Critical systems on the Dali were originally designed with reliable redundancies and automatic restart capabilities so the Dali could quickly regain power after a blackout. But shortly after the vessel regained power, it lost power again. 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. However, 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 indictment alleges that if the Dali used the proper fuel supply pumps, the vessel would have regained power in time to safely navigate under the Key Bridge.

Synergy and Nair are also charged with obstruction of an agency proceeding and providing false statements and documents to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as it conducted a casualty investigation. The obstruction charges relate to, among other things, Nair's statements to the NTSB that he did not know the Dali was using the flushing pump to provide fuel to two of the generators.

An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.

If convicted, Synergy faces a maximum sentence of five years of probation for each felony count and a fine of up to twice the amount of the gross gain or loss caused by the allision. Nair faces a maximum of five years in federal prison for conspiracy; six years for each violation of the Ports & Waterways Safety Act; 10 years for each count of misconduct of or neglect of ship officers; five years for each count of obstructing an agency proceeding; and five years for each count of false statements.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, CGIS, and EPA-CID for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Phelps, Bijon A. Mostoufi, and Kimberly Phillips, along with ENRD Trial Attorney Leigh Rende, who are prosecuting this federal case.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.

# # #