Man accused of sinking his own yacht

Sushihunter

Active Member
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/400956_boat21.html

Man accused of sinking his own yacht
By LEVI PULKKINEN
P-I REPORTER


Felony insurance fraud charges have been filed against a Seattle man accused of sinking his own yacht in a fit of rage brought on by the boat's mechanical problems.

According to court documents, Brian A. Lewis was piloting the Jubilee from Bainbridge Island to Seattle on March 22 when he scuttled the motor yacht halfway through his journey.

As the boat sank, Lewis, 50, rowed a borrowed dingy back to Bainbridge Island.

He left the state later that day, flying to Kodiak, Alaska, to work aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship Miller Freeman.

Days later Lewis reported the vessel's sinking to his insurance provider, claiming, according to police, that the Jubilee sank following an accident. Alarmed by the possible environmental impact of the sinking, the state Department of Natural Resources salvaged the vessel. That effort ultimately cost the state $2,866.

Insurance investigators examining the boat found that a 2-inch hole had been cut into the boat's hull and that the bilge system had been damaged.

Informed of the suspicious circumstances, federal agents and Seattle detectives confronted Lewis. According to court documents, Lewis ultimately admitted to sinking the boat because the "financial pressure and frustration" of maintaining the boat "caused him extreme anxiety."

"The engine trouble he experienced caused him to lose his temper," Detective Chris Hansen said in court documents. "In his rage, he ... drilled the hole to sink the vessel."

Before the sinking, Lewis had attempted to sell the boat at an asking price of $28,500.

Earlier this month, King County prosecutors charged Lewis with making a fraudulent insurance claim. He has not been jailed, in part because he has no known criminal history.

P-I reporter Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com.

Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
 
Not the sharpest corn chip in the bag!

If you're going to do something like that do it in a place where the boat sinks in hundreds of fathoms of water with a soft muddy bottom.

Not that I would know anything about certain occurences mind you but there are rumours.....;)

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what an idiot,
i wonder if he will go to jail?
does it make a difference if its over 20 grand?
 
Nope, the court will in typical fashion sentence him to 2 days hard time in a 5 star hotel citing he's a poor misunderstood man who needs tender love and forgiveness.
 
Fires happen all the time...

Take only what you need.
 
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