By ELAINE SILVESTRINI | The Tampa Tribune
Published: March 06, 2012
TAMPA --"After a night of steady drinking on a cruise ship chugging from Mexico to Tampa, Rick Ehlert made his way to an off-limits area of the deck that was supposed to be accessible only to the crew.
There he saw the MS Ryndam's 18-ton stern anchor and thought it looked a lot like the anchor on his own 50-foot boat. He put on a pair of work gloves, removed a cable attached to the anchor, turned a handle, released another cable and then released the brake.
A cloud of dust and rust rose up from the chain, and the room shook from the vibration as the anchor dropped.
"Many people have asked me why I dropped the anchor," he later wrote in an apology letter to the ship's captain. "I believe that I was intrigued by the machinery and curious to see if I could operate it. I do remember trying to stop the anchor once it started moving, but it just kept going faster."
On Tuesday, a federal judge sentenced Ehlert to four months incarceration — two months to be served in a federal prison and two months of home confinement — followed by three years of probation. U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday, who called the incident a "bothersome crime," also ordered Ehlert to pay a $7,500 fine and participate in substance abuse and mental health counseling..."
View Court Video and read more of Elaine Silverstrini's article at: tbo.com
Published: March 06, 2012
TAMPA --"After a night of steady drinking on a cruise ship chugging from Mexico to Tampa, Rick Ehlert made his way to an off-limits area of the deck that was supposed to be accessible only to the crew.
There he saw the MS Ryndam's 18-ton stern anchor and thought it looked a lot like the anchor on his own 50-foot boat. He put on a pair of work gloves, removed a cable attached to the anchor, turned a handle, released another cable and then released the brake.
A cloud of dust and rust rose up from the chain, and the room shook from the vibration as the anchor dropped.
"Many people have asked me why I dropped the anchor," he later wrote in an apology letter to the ship's captain. "I believe that I was intrigued by the machinery and curious to see if I could operate it. I do remember trying to stop the anchor once it started moving, but it just kept going faster."
On Tuesday, a federal judge sentenced Ehlert to four months incarceration — two months to be served in a federal prison and two months of home confinement — followed by three years of probation. U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday, who called the incident a "bothersome crime," also ordered Ehlert to pay a $7,500 fine and participate in substance abuse and mental health counseling..."
View Court Video and read more of Elaine Silverstrini's article at: tbo.com
