Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

Go to Database Search Page

Go to  Database Index Page

Matthaios Fafalios

 

Charge:

Regulatory Violation

Sentence:

Years Imprisoned:

Year Crime:

2013

Year Convicted:

2014

Year Cleared:

2016

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Louisiana - Federal Case

County or Region of Crime:

Orleans

City of Crime:

New Orleans

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

"Matthaios Fafalios was wrongly convicted on December 16, 2014 of “failing to maintain an oil record book aboard a foreign-flagged merchant sea vessel, in violation of 33 U.S.C. § 1908(a) and 33 C.F.R. § 151.25.” Fafalios, a Greek seafarer, was the chief engineer of the Trident Navigator. "In December 2013, while in international waters, Fafalios noticed that the Trident Navigator’s bilge tank was almost full. Fearing that the bilge water would damage engine components before it could be properly filtered for disposal, Fafalios ordered that the oily bilge water be pumped directly into the ocean without treatment. To conceal his actions, Fafalios did not record this bilge water dumping in the Trident Navigator’s oil record book. Several weeks later, the Trident Navigator arrived at port in New Orleans. Soon after the ship’s arrival, a whistleblower contacted the U.S. Coast Guard and informed them that the untreated bilge water had been pumped overboard. The Coast Guard conducted an investigation, which uncovered Fafalios’s actions." Fafalios was indicted in the District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans. At the close of the government’s case, the trial judge denied Fafalios' motion for judgment of acquittal on the grounds the government failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt he was the “master or other person in charge” of the vessel and therefore he was not legally required under the Coast Guard’s regulations to maintain the oil record book while in United States waters. After his conviction by a jury, Fafalios appealed. On March 14, 2016 the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Fafalios conviction on the basis the prosecution failed to introduce sufficient evidence to prove the essential element that he was required to maintain the records under the statute. (Quote from (USA v. Matthaios Fafalios, No. 15-30146 (5th Cir. 3-14-2016), Op. cit 2.)"

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

"On March 14, 2016 the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Fafalios conviction on the basis the prosecution failed to introduce sufficient evidence to prove the essential element that he was required to maintain the records under the statute."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Information Source 1:

"USA v. Matthaios Fafalios, No. 15-30146 (5th Cir. 3-14-2016) (Reversing conviction based on prosecution failure to introduce sufficient evidence of Fafalios guilt.)"

Information Location 1:

http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/15/15-30146-CR0.pdf

Information Source 2:

"Chief Engineer has Oil Log Book Conviction Overturned, By Staff writers, The Maritime Executive, March 15, 2016"

Information Location 2:

http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/chief-engineer-has-oil-log-book-conviction-overturned

Information Source 3:

Information Location 3:

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case:

Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

Hosted on forejustice.org and mirrored on justicedenied.org .