NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A New Jersey man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges related to the deaths of a 48-year-old woman and 7-year-old boy, who did not survive when his vessel capsized in the Hudson River, the Department of Justice announced.
Richard Cruz, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death.
This charge holds a maximum sentence of 10 years. The stipulated sentencing range in Cruz’s plea agreement is 12 to 18 months imprisonment, but the final sentencing will be determined by the court.
In the afternoon of July 12, 2022, Cruz was the captain of his motor vessel, the “Stimulus Money,” and leading an illegal boat tour in the Hudson River when it capsized.
According to prosecutors, he bought the vessel three months before the incident, and regularly conducted tours for paying customers without the proper credentials from the United States Coast Guard to do so.
At the time of the capsizing, there were 13 people on board the vessel, exceeding its maximum capacity. Cruz was also operating the watercraft at a high speed, in spite of an advisory that was issued alerting small vessels of dangerous conditions, including high winds and heavy seas.
When the boat capsized, all 13 people were thrown overboard.
Vessels from the NYPD’s Harbor Unit, the FDNY’s Dive Rescue Team and nearby ferries arrived to help, and 11 passengers were recovered conscious, in varying medical conditions.
They were all transported to Manhattan hospitals and survived.
About 25 minutes after the boat flipped, officials found the remaining two passengers, who were pronounced dead by emergency medical personnel. They had been trapped underneath the vessel and drowned.
“This prosecution should send a message to all captains and operators of commercial vessels that there will be consequences when they fail to follow the federal regulations and safety protocols that exist to keep passengers safe,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said.
According to the plea agreement, Cruz will provide restitution in the amount of $50,000, which must be made as a condition of probation or supervised release.
The Justice Department asks that any illegal passenger charters be reported to the USCG at their tip site.