John Merrone, 53, a former cargo ship captain, pleads guilty in Brooklyn federal court to a five-count indictment charging him with drugging and raping a cadet of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. According to the reports, the plea comes shortly after jury selection in the case and just before opening arguments were scheduled to begin.
The two outlets both state that Merrone’s guilty plea follows a period of jury selection and occurs immediately prior to trial proceedings. The charges describe conduct involving the Merchant Marine Academy cadet, including allegations that Merrone drugged the victim and then committed rape.
With the plea entered, the case is expected to move to sentencing, where the court will determine Merrone’s prison term based on the federal charges to which he pleaded guilty. No sentencing date or specific punishment is stated in the provided summaries.
