A federal judge has sentenced Dustin Sean McCabe, the 50-year-old owner and captain of a scuba charter vessel, to 100 months in prison for seaman’s manslaughter, lying to the U.S. Coast Guard, and fraudulently obtaining federal pandemic relief funds. The sentence, which is above advisory guidelines, was handed down by U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon, who cited McCabe’s reckless conduct and the horrific circumstances of the victim’s death.
According to court records, McCabe purchased a 48-foot vessel in March 2020 and falsely registered it as recreational, even though he intended to run paid scuba charters. On March 28, 2020, during the vessel’s first paid trip, it experienced dangerous mechanical malfunctions, including a propeller that unexpectedly activated, narrowly missing a diver.
Despite these issues, McCabe operated another paid trip the very next day without making repairs or warning his passengers. During this second trip, the same propeller malfunction occurred as a victim and her spouse were boarding, pulling them into the propeller and killing her.
Following the fatality, McCabe was prohibited from operating the vessel. He later applied for two federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, falsely claiming his business was still operational and submitting fraudulent documents to obtain the funds and secure loan forgiveness.
The case was investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) Southeast Field Office and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.