New Jersey Crew Members Sentenced in Failed Bid to Sink Ship

Two men who admitted roles in a botched attempt to sink a fishing boat to collect insurance money are now headed to federal prison.

Erik James of Goshen and Christopher Martin of Wildwood, N.J., both received 30-month terms when they were sentenced Tuesday. The men, who are both 40 years old, were former crew members on the Alexander II fishing boat.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has said the pair and three other defendants – including the ship’s owner – sought $400,000 in insurance money. They took the boat to a point about 86 miles southeast of Cape May and tried unsuccessfully to sink it, after falsifying the ship’s log.

James and Martin had both pleaded guilty to complaints charging them with conspiracy to destroy the boat on the high seas.