NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Two corporations that operated a tanker that illegally dumped oily waste into the waters near New Orleans have been sentenced to pay $2 million and complete 4 years of probation. According to the United States Department of Justice, the Sept. 26 sentencing comes from a federal court in New Orleans after the companies, Prive Overseas Marine LLC and Prive Shipping Denizcilik Ticaret, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships back in May. Jefferson Parish recycle pilot program ends Abdurrahman Korkmaz, the captain of the tanker, the P/S Dream, pleaded guilty in June and was also sentenced on Sept. 10 to eight months in prison for an APPS offense and obstructing the U.S. Coast Guard's investigation. The charges in the investigation stem from when the P/S Dream was on route to New Orleans in January, 2023. Korkmaz reportedly ordered the discharge of oil-contaminated waste from a residual tank on deck into the ocean, and then told the crew to clean out the tank with soap. A portable pump was rigged to empty the tank over the course of three days. The defendants falsified the record by neglecting to include the discharge, intending to conceal the violation of MARPOL Annex I, an international treaty that regulates oil pollution from ships. Videos of the oil dumping were recorded by a crewmember and shared with the Coast Guard. A second crewmember gave the Coast Guard a recording of an officer discussing the discharge. Corporate representatives of Prive Shipping were reportedly made aware by the ship's master that the waste had been dumped overboard. Louisiana Red Cross sends volunteers to Florida for Hurricane Helene The $2 million fine includes $500,000 in organizational community service payments to fund maritime environmental projects in the Eastern District of Louisiana. The projects will be managed by the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation. As a condition of the 4-year probation, the corporations have to adhere to an environmental compliance plan mandating audit, safety and inspection requirements. Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter. Latest Posts Manning leads No. 1 Texas over Mississippi State as Longhorns earn first SEC victory 35-13 Taylor Swift approval among Republicans crashes after Harris endorsement Darian Mensah throws for 3 TDs and Tulane routs South Florida 45-10 to begin AAC play Trump posts, then deletes, fake image of Kamala Harris with Diddy Musk faces $1.9 million fine to end X ban in Brazil