[August 19, 2011] Passenger pleads guilty to dropping cruise ship's anchor Tweet TAMPA, Aug 19, 2011 (Tampa Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- A California businessman pleaded guilty to federal felony charges for dropping the anchor on a Tampa cruise ship during a drunken prank. Rick Ehlert, 45, entered his plea today before U.S. Magistrate Thomas G. Wilson. Ehlert pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to damage a maritime facility and faces up to 20 years in prison. Ehlert admitted to dropping the 18-ton anchor of the MS Ryndam when it was about 200 miles from Costa Maya, Mexico, on a cruise between there and Tampa in November. Ship video showed it took Ehlert about 12 minutes to release the anchor after he went through a crew-only deck, donned work gloves and took a wrench to the mechanism. Ehlert told authorities he had a similar system on his own 50-foot boat and wanted to see whether he could deploy the one on the cruise ship. He tried to have the charges thrown out, claiming his actions were alcohol-fueled, reckless and stupid, but not criminal. But U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday refused to dismiss the charges. Though the charges carry a 20-year maximum, prosecutors indicated they expect sentencing guidelines will call for probation. Investigators say in court filings that Ehlert could have done serious damage to the Holland America ship. They said the ship was saved because it was in such deep water that the anchor never hit the seabed. To see more of the Tampa Tribune or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tampatrib.com. Copyright (c) 2011, Tampa Tribune, Fla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]