Baltimore – The Justice Department announced 18 charges Tuesday against the operators of the 100,000-plus-ton cargo ship that crashed into a Maryland bridge more than two years ago, causing it to collapse and killing six people. Federal prosecutors said they were charging the international companies Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd., as well as the ship’s technical superintendent, Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair. The charges included conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and misconduct or neglect of ship officers that resulted in death.
The two companies and Nair were also charged with willfully failing to immediately inform the Coast Guard about a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding and making false statements, according to a statement announcing the charges. The companies were also accused of misdemeanor violations of the Clean Water Act, the Oil Pollution Act, and the Refuse Act, related to the discharge of pollutants into Maryland’s Patapsco River, including the shipping containers, their contents, oil, and the bridge itself.
Synergy Marine Group responded by stating that federal prosecutors were “criminalizing a tragic accident” and that the allegations in the indictment were “baseless.” The company vowed to vigorously defend itself against the charges.
The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, led to the deaths of six construction workers and brought the Baltimore port to a standstill for two months. Reconstruction of the bridge is ongoing.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called the collapse a “preventable tragedy of enormous consequence” and emphasized the Department’s commitment to securing justice for the victims.
Synergy Marine Pte Ltd. (based in Singapore) and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd. (based in Chennai, India) were cited in the charges, along with Nair, an Indian national working as a technical superintendent for both companies. Prosecutors indicated that efforts would be made to bring Nair to the U.S. to face charges.
A report by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that the cargo ship, Dali, lost power and propulsion before colliding with the bridge. Attorneys representing the families of the victims welcomed the criminal charges as a significant step in seeking accountability and justice for the tragic incident.
NBC News reporters Gary Grumbach, Tom Costello, Owen Hayes, and Daniella Silva contributed to this report.
