Capt. John Cota, the pilot of a cargo ship that spilled 53,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay in a November 2007 incident, pleaded guilty on Friday to two criminal charges, Reuters reports, citing federal prosecutors.

The 61-year-old pilot pleaded guilty to violating the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, a law enacted in the wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
According to a plea agreement, prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed on a recommended sentence of between two and 10 months in jail.

Medical reports released last year showed that the pilot was suffering from serious medical issues. It was demonstrated that he should never have been at the helm as the captain of the Cosco Busan, a 900-foot vessel. The former pilot was taking Wellbutrin, a drug usually prescribed to combat depression, as well as medication for migraines and glaucoma. He was also suffering of pancreatitis, a disease often linked to alcoholism. Despite all these evidences, Jeff Bornstein, Cota’s attorney claims there is no link between his client’s prescription drugs and the crash.

Cota admitted in the plea papers filed Friday his 2006 physical exam form failed to disclose some of the medications he was prescribed.

“Today's guilty plea is a reminder that the Cosco Busan crash was not just an accident, but a criminal act,” John Cruden, acting assistant attorney general, concluded in a statement.
Joseph Russoniello, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California said the former captain was an experienced ship pilot who was compensated for his special knowledge of ships. “His failure to act prudently under the circumstances caused a major environmental disaster that could have been far worse,” according to Russoniello.

The decision demonstrates that environmental stewards who abandon ship, act negligently and cause major environmental damage will be prosecuted.