A sicko cargo-ship captain faces life in jail after taking an Eleventh-hour plea deal simply hours earlier than his trial was set to start Wednesday — admitting to drugging and raping a Service provider Marine Academy cadet whereas out at sea, a court docket heard.
Ex-seaman John Merrone, 54, might spend the remainder of his life behind bars after he pleaded responsible to all 5 counts in a intercourse crimes indictment for spiking a feminine cadet’s drink and raping her aboard the Liberty Glory cargo ship on Sept. 8, 2019.
The shock plea deal got here two hours after Merrone’s anticipated two-week trial was set to start when Brooklyn Federal Decide Ramon E. Reyes Jr. advised the court docket that Merrone, the previous captain of the American-flagged cargo ship, was ready to confess to raping Jane Doe #1, the sufferer who was in her early 20s on the time of the assault.
“Jane drank alcohol. I knowingly gave her an intoxicant with out her data or consent. Jane grew to become incapacitated. I then had intercourse along with her with out her consent,” Merrone admitted in a robotically gradual assertion.
Federal prosecutors have mentioned that Merrone, of South Carolina, was aboard the maritime vessel, which originated in Bahrain and was sure for Corpus Christi, TX, when he spiked the cadet’s drink with a date-rape drug.
The creep had grow to be acquainted with the sufferer when he began messaging her on Fb earlier than she arrived on the vessel — the place he continued to message her all through their time collectively, authorities declare.
His ruse finally escalated to inviting Jane Doe #1 and one other sufferer, Jane Doe #2, to his stateroom, the place they may have a “soda” — an alias for booze since alcohol was banned on the vessel.
“Coke Zero with u am [Jane Doe #2]????” Merrone allegedly texted Jane Doe #1, who responded by saying that she stays away from “soda.”
“U might like my soda!?!?” the creep continued.
The ladies have been then served drinks from an already opened bottle of alcohol whereas Merrone — who claimed in court docket Wednesday that he had since been sober for the previous four-and-a-half years — sipped at his freshly opened private bottle, in keeping with court docket papers.
Merrone then began asking the ladies sexual questions earlier than they each blacked out.
The pair wakened of their separate rooms the subsequent morning with none recollection of how they made it again to their bunks, prosecutors mentioned.
Jane Doe #1, who wakened the subsequent morning in solely a shirt and a bra, later confronted Merrone, throughout which the hobbled creep admitted that he had “enjoyable final night time” and insinuated that they need to do it once more — regardless of the sufferer saying she didn’t consent to the encounter.
Merrone’s trial was set to start after two days of a grueling jury choice course of — the place a number of alleged victims, who Merrone just isn’t charged with attacking, have been set to testify, together with Jane Doe #1.
The sufferer, who sat teary-eyed in court docket for Merrone’s responsible plea, didn’t communicate following the continuing — however her legal professional, Ryan Melogy, mentioned that she felt relieved and was trying ahead to transferring on when the deviant animal lastly admitted his guilt.
Attorneys for Merrone declined to talk following the court docket look.
By pleading responsible to aggravated sexual abuse and sexual abuse, Merrone faces the opportunity of life in jail.
Brooklyn Assistant US Legal professional Kayla Bensing mentioned they might advocate he serve between 188 and 235 months behind bars, however the decide can resolve his sentence.
Merrone has been accused of drugging or rape by at the least 5 girls, in keeping with prosecutors.
He was convicted in 2011 of false imprisonment and battery after being accused of raping a lady, however his conviction was later overturned on attraction.
He’s set to be sentenced on December 22.
