Seabrook man accused of operating illegal charter cruise out of Galveston, U.S. attorney says

A Seabrook man has been arrested Monday on federal charges for allegedly operating an illegal charter cruise business in Galveston, U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani announced. Gordon Johnson, 65, allegedly operated a charter cruise using a boat named the MV Spanish Princess without complying with the U.S. Coast Guard in the Houston-Galveston area. In the indictment, the Justice Department alleges Johnson lied to Coast Guard personnel about having paying customers on board and instructed passengers to also lie about having paid to be on the cruise. Johnson is also accused of having forged the signature of the seller of the MV Spanish Princess on a Coast Guard bill of sale.

Johnson was indicted on Dec. 1 and arrested Monday morning. He is expected to make his initial appearance in court on Tuesday morning. If convicted of the charges, Johnson could face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and forfeiture of the MV Spanish Princess. “Ensuring mariners are fully qualified to safely operate passenger vessels is of upmost importance to the U.S. Coast Guard," Brian Jeanfreau, special agent in charge for the Coast Guard Investigative Service Gulf Region, said in a statement.