Former Captain Pleads Guilty to Drugging and Assaulting a Merchant Marine Cadet
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
NEW YORK — A former cargo ship captain pleaded guilty on Wednesday to drugging and raping a 21-year-old cadet from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, who was working on the vessel as part of the academy's 'Sea Year' training program. John Merrone, 53, entered his plea just as his trial was set to begin in federal court in Brooklyn. He admitted to having sexual intercourse with the cadet without her consent 'on the ship, in the middle of the ocean' after rendering her unconscious with an intoxicating substance in 2019. The jury had already been selected, and the woman, identified only as Jane Doe, was present in court waiting to testify. Prosecutors also planned to call other women as witnesses who have accused Merrone of sexual assaults over the past three decades. Generally, The Associated Press does not disclose the names of individuals who allege they have been sexually assaulted unless they agree to be identified. Merrone had previously been convicted of false imprisonment and battery after a waitress in the Florida Keys accused him of having sex with her against her will; however, an appeals court overturned the verdict, and prosecutors did not retry the case.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
