The chief engineer of the container ship MSC Michigan VII has pleaded guilty to federal charges after the vessel lost control in Charleston Harbor last June, forcing the temporary closure of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge and evacuation of nearby beaches.
Fernando San Diego San Juan, 61, a Filipino national, admitted to failing to report hazardous conditions aboard the ship and obstructing the subsequent federal investigation, according to court documents.
Under the plea agreement, he faces a maximum of six years in prison for the first charge and five years for the second, along with fines of up to $250,000 and up to 3 years of supervised release for each count. Special assessments of $100 per charge also apply.
The incident occurred on June 5, 2024, when MSC Michigan VII, a 997-foot, 74,000-ton vessel with a capacity of 6,648 TEU, departed Charleston at around 11:45 a.m. The ship experienced a propulsion failure and began traveling at speeds
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