DOJ Charges Synergy Marine, Synergy Maritime, Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair in Baltimore Key Bridge Collapse

Federal prosecutors announced criminal charges Tuesday in Baltimore over the 2024 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, accusing the Singapore-based operator of the container ship Dali and a key employee of decisions that led to the deaths of six people.

“The indictment names Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., based in Singapore”

NewsNation

The indictment names Synergy Marine Pte Ltd., based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd., based in Chennai, India, and charges Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national who was technical superintendent for the Dali.

Boston 25 News

Prosecutors said the Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26, 2024, killing six construction workers who had been filling potholes, and they accused the companies and Nair of conspiracy and willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called the collapse “a preventable tragedy of enormous consequence,” as federal investigators focused on whether the crew knew of critical systems issues before leaving port.

Maryland officials estimate the bridge replacement could cost between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, with the bridge expected to be open to traffic in 2030.

In the fallout of the collision, prosecutors said the Dali lost power twice in the moments leading up to the March 26, 2024 crash, and they accused the ship’s operator of falsely representing the vessel’s condition by failing to report safety risks and forging safety inspections.

The National Transportation Safety Board found last year that two electrical blackouts—one caused by a loose wire aboard the Dali and another by problems with a fuel pump—disabled the controls of the cargo ship before it crashed into the bridge.

CBS News

The Justice Department’s indictment also alleges misconduct tied to the ship’s fuel system, with CBS News reporting that prosecutors accused the defendants of improperly using a “flushing pump” to supply diesel to two of the Dali’s generators.

CBS News added that the indictment alleges the company and Nair took steps to “hide the use of the flushing pump,” including by omitting and removing references from ship documents during the NTSB investigation.

U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes said law enforcement will work to bring Nair back to the U.S. from India to face the charges, while the WTOP report said the indictment unsealed Tuesday morning in Baltimore.

Beyond the criminal case, the sources describe large-scale disruption from the collapse, including that it halted shipping at the Port of Baltimore and triggered economic problems statewide, with Maryland officials estimating replacement costs between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion.

“It halted shipping at the Port of Baltimore, disrupted the livelihoods of thousands”

NewsNation

The indictment comes after a settlement in principle announced in April between the State of Maryland, Synergy Marine and Grace Ocean Private Limited, with the state’s lawsuit alleging the crash was the result of negligence, mismanagement and the reckless operation of a vessel that was not seaworthy and should never have left port.

The Baltimore Banner reported that a civil trial with billions of dollars at stake is slated to begin June 1 in U.S. District court, and it said the victims’ families, city government, Baltimore Gas and Electric and local businesses are among dozens of parties suing.

The Baltimore Banner also said the bridge rebuild is at a crossroads, with Maryland switching from its contractor Kiewit after the two parties could not agree on the project’s cost, and it reported that the state expects the bridge to cost about $5 billion while Kiewit proposed a price tag of billions more.

In the same reporting, the Baltimore Banner said the projected opening is at the end of 2030, while legal experts said criminal charges could change the civil case’s pace.