Plea offered to 2 charged with destroying boat off Long Island, officials say
The owner and mate of a charter fishing boat that operated out of Captree State Park have been offered plea deals to charges they deliberately destroyed and sunk the vessel in the Atlantic Ocean off Long Island, according to officials.
The disclosure of the plea deal to Timothy Juettner, 52, of Smithtown, the owner and operator of the boat, named the North Star, and Thomas Jordan, 57, of Brentwood, the mate, was made by a federal prosecutor Thursday at a telephonic hearing on the case in federal court in Central Islip.
Juettner and Jordan used a sister charterboat, named the North Star II, to tow the North Star out into the Atlantic in October of 2018 for its destruction, according to sources familiar with the case.
Juettner and Jordan, also known as "T.J.," did so both because the North Star was in need of major repair that Juettner could not afford, and the boat was not insured, according to the sources.
Both are charged with destruction of a vessel by a person in charge; destruction of a vessel; conspiracy to destroy a vessel; and making false statements to a federal agent.
The false statements charges involve Juettner and Thomas telling agents of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Investigative Service that they "did not intentionally sink the North Star," court papers said.
The court papers also said that Jordan falsely told Coast Guard agents that he and Juettner were the only persons present when the North Star sunk when he "knew there were at least two other people present when the defendants intentionally sank the North Star."
The location of the destruction and sinking of the North Star was not disclosed except to say it was within the 12-mile limit, the court papers say.
Both Juettner and Jordan are out on $50,000 bail after they pleaded not guilty in the case.
Sources said that Juettner is not currently operating a charter fishing boat, but he usually does not do so at this time of year.
U.S. District Judge Joan Azrack gave Juettner and Jordan until February to consider the government’s plea offer. The terms of the plea were not disclosed.
Jordan’s lawyer, Christopher McGuire of Central Islip, declined to comment afterward, except to say that his "client has never been in trouble before."
Juettner’s attorney, federal public defender Tracey Gaffey, declined to comment, as did John Marzulli, spokesman for Eastern District federal prosecutor Megan Farrell.
Bob Kessler covers federal law, including law enforcement agencies such as the FBI, DEA, IRS and ATF, as well as the federal courts.
Updated now Newsday travel writer Scott Vogel took the ferry over to Block Island for a weekend of fun.
Updated now Newsday travel writer Scott Vogel took the ferry over to Block Island for a weekend of fun.
