Being charged with a crime can have many implications, both legally and
personally. A conviction can lead to penalties that can include a prison
sentence or probationary period. In addition, a criminal record can make
it difficult to find employment or even purchase a home in the future.

Four men from New Jersey are faced with some of the penalties that a criminal
charge can carry. They were recently indicted by a federal jury after
allegedly trying to make a fraudulent insurance claim. The charges they
specifically face are conspiracy and attempting to destroy a ship. Only
two of the men have been arrested at this point.

According to the article, one of the men owned a fishing vessel and he
and his crew headed out into the water in 2009. The men then allegedly
tried to flood the boat and then called the United States Coast Guard
to come rescue them. They were found aboard a life raft after escaping
the sinking ship.

The Coast Guard found some discrepancies with the ship’s log that made
them question the circumstances. The log showed that the men had brought
in fish that weight several thousand pounds. However, the boat was found
without any fish.

The boat owner sought to collect the insurance on the vessel but was denied
by his insurance company. To fight the denial, he filed a lawsuit against
the insurance company. His claim stated that the boat sprung a leak and
under the conditions of the insurance policy, he should be able to collect
on the policy.

As stated above, penalties for criminal charges can be severe. In this
particular situation, a conviction could land the men in prison for up
to 10 years and also require them to pay $250,000 in fines. Penalties
like that could impact a person for the rest of their life.

Source: Thomson Reuters News & Insight online,
“New Jersey boat owner and crew charged in sinking plot,” Terry Baynes, 15 June 2011