PORTLAND, Maine — A 23-year-old Vinalhaven man faces up to six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to making a false distress message to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Owen Adair pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court on Wednesday. Court records say he initiated a two-way radio conversation with a radio operator at the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern New England. He repeatedly told the operator he urgently needed assistance because a crewman on his fishing vessel was seriously injured.
Prosecutors say Adair was actually ashore on Vinalhaven using a radio in his truck. The Coast Guard conducted a four-hour search and abandoned its efforts, concluding that the distress call was a hoax.
Adair also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release.