Two companies behind the bulk carrier M/V ASL Singapore have entered guilty pleas for environmental crimes, which have led to a combined fine of $1.85 million and a ban from operating within the United States. ASL Singapore Shipping Limited, headquartered in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, alongside Jia Feng Shipping (Fuzhou) Limited from China, admitted to knowingly violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and obstruction of justice for maintaining a falsified Oil Record Book. These revelations were publicized following an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey after the companies pleaded guilty on February 20, 2025. According to details from a Department of Justice press release, the illicit activities included the use of an illegal "magic pipe" that permitted the discharge of oily bilge water directly overboard, bypassing mandatory pollution prevention equipment. Such actions contravene MARPOL, the International Maritime Organization's key contribution to the global battle against unlawful maritime pollution. In addition, the crew presented Oil Record Books that contained fraudulent entries and left out information about disposing of oily bilge water out at sea before docking in the United States.
The case came to light following a routine U.S. Coast Guard inspection, exposing the companies' non-compliance with regulations that exist to protect oceans from oil pollution. The charges against ASL Singapore Shipping Limited and Jia Feng Shipping include two felonies for an APPS violation and obstruction of justice. Investigations were led by the Coast Guard Investigative Service and the Environmental Protection Agency's Criminal Investigations Division, with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans.
Fei Wang, the vessel’s Chief Engineer and a Chinese national pleaded guilty to related charges and was sentenced on January 24. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine M. Calogero and G. Dall Kammer were recognized for prosecuting the case.
