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Marina owner fined $45,000 for scuttling boats in LI Sound

The former owner of a Connecticut marina was sentenced Monday to two years of probation and fined $45,000 for intentionally sinking abandoned boats in Long Island Sound.

John Magness, of Bristol, Maine, pleaded guilty last November to a federal charge of obstructing navigable waters by sinking a vessel.

Magness was in the process of selling the Bluefish Cove Marina in Bridgeport in 2018 when prosecutors say he made a deal with an employee and another man to scuttle several sailboats and motorboats that had been abandoned at the marina.

Investigators discovered at least five boats were sunk between Black Rock Harbor and the Pennfield Reef Lighthouse at Magness’ request between October 2018 and April 2019.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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