Former U.S. merchant marine captain John Merrone has pleaded guilty to five federal charges linked to the sexual assault of a U.S. Merchant Marine Academy cadet aboard the bulker Liberty Glory in 2019.
Merrone, 53, entered the guilty plea in federal court in New York on Wednesday, 15 July. The charges included aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact involving a cadet who was 21 at the time of the incident.
According to court filings, two female USMMA cadets joined Liberty Glory in August 2019 for a voyage from Bahrain to Texas. Merrone, who was commanding the vessel, had started contacting the cadets through social media about one month before they boarded.
On 9 September 2019, Merrone invited both cadets to his cabin for what he described as soda. Court filings said he poured alcohol for the women from an open bottle while preparing his own drink from a separate sealed bottle.
Both cadets reported quickly losing their memory of the rest of the evening. They awoke in their cabins the following day with nausea and headaches. One cadet said she was not wearing her pants or underwear and was experiencing pain.
The cadet later told Merrone that she could not remember what had happened and had not consented. Reports said Merrone told her they had had fun and that events had progressed. He also asked whether she wanted to repeat the encounter and later offered her money. The second cadet did not pursue charges.
In court, Merrone admitted that he knowingly gave the cadet an intoxicant without her knowledge or consent and had sex with her while she was incapacitated.
The cadet, publicly identified only as Jane Doe, filed a legal complaint in 2021. She had informed family members and sought medical treatment following the 2019 assault. She remains active in the merchant marine.
Merrone surrendered his license to the U.S. Coast Guard in 2022 during a disciplinary investigation. The Justice Department initially declined to pursue criminal charges before charges were filed against him in June 2025.
His plea was entered after a jury had been selected and shortly before the trial was expected to begin.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 2026. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Merrone faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Associated Press reported that federal sentencing guidelines recommend a prison term of 15 to 19 years. Merrone remains free on bail.
Lawyers said the prosecution was the first time in a generation that the Justice Department had brought charges in a case involving the sexual assault of a merchant marine cadet by an officer.
The case was among several reports that led to scrutiny of the USMMA Sea Year program. The program was suspended between 2016 and 2017 and was suspended again in 2021 for further review following multiple assault reports.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office credited the U.S. Coast Guard for its investigative work. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York office also assisted with the investigation and prosecution.
