Former Ship Captain Pleads Guilty To Drugging, Sexually Assaulting US Merchant Marine Academy Cadet
A former cargo ship captain pleaded guilty on Wednesday to drugging and raping a United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) cadet while she was undergoing sea training aboard a commercial vessel, ending a federal trial before opening statements began.
John Merrone, 54, admitted in a Brooklyn federal court that he gave the 21-year-old cadet an intoxicant without her knowledge or consent before sexually assaulting her in September 2019 aboard the Liberty Glory, which was sailing from Bahrain to Corpus Christi, Texas.
The guilty plea came after two days of jury selection, with the victim, identified in court as Jane Doe, expected to be the first witness.
“Jane drank alcohol, I knowingly gave her an intoxicant without her knowledge or consent….