Former captain pleads guilty to drugging, raping US Merchant Marine Academy cadet on freighter0

• Gear / Gear News and Events, General, News, Newsletters, Security / Security News, US
• July 16, 2026

NEW YORK — A former cargo ship captain pleaded guilty Wednesday to drugging and raping a 21-year-old U.S. Merchant Marine Academy cadet who was working on the ship as part of the academy’s Sea Year training program. John Merrone, 53, pleaded guilty just as his trial was about to begin in federal court in Brooklyn.