BALTIMORE — The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday announced a federal indictment against the owners of the DALI container ship that crashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing its collapse over two years ago.
Prosecutors say the DALI used unauthorized fuel flushing pumps creating hazardous conditions in violation of federal law.
This led to a pair of power outages within four minutes hampering the ship's ability to recover resulting in the collision and death of six construction workers.
"The defendants allegedly altered the ship and relied on a flushing pump to supply fuel to two of the Dali’s four generators," the DOJ said. "The flushing pump was not designed to automatically restart following a blackout, and the Dali’s generators could not operate without a fuel supply, so the ship ultimately experienced a second blackout. The indictment alleges that if the Dali used the proper fuel supply pumps, the vessel would have regained power in time to safely navigate under the Key Bridge."
DOJ indicts DALI ship ownership, technician over Key Bridge collapse
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Citing how the ship also lost power 24 hours before the crash, the DOJ suggests its owners, Synergy Marine Group, intentionally withheld this information from federal inspectors.
Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national who worked as the Technical Superintendent on the Dali, was also charged with conspiracy, for allegedly providing false statements to the U.S. Coast Guard and failing to inform them of the ship's conditions.
SEE ALSO: Could a loose cable have caused the DALI power outage leading to Key Bridge crash?
The DALI owners face additional misdemeanor violations of the Clean Water Act, Oil Pollution Act, and Refuse Act for the discharge of pollutants into the Patapsco River, including shipping containers and their contents, oil, and the bridge itself.
Nair is believed to be in India where the feds are hoping to track him down to face charges back here in the U.S.
The DOJ's civil division previously agreed to a $100 million out-of-court settlement over the crash, however prosecutors emphasized that and the criminal case are separate.
In response to the indictment, Synergy issued the following statement:
"First and foremost, our primary concern remains the families affected by the loss of their loved ones as a result of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. From the outset, we have dedicated ourselves to fully cooperating with the investigations to determine what occurred so that future accidents can be prevented.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued its final report on December 10, 2025, following a comprehensive and exhaustive 20-month investigation, performed by a team of NTSB investigators with a combined 400 years of maritime expertise. This independent investigation by the NTSB was further supported by a variety of parties, including the DALI’s designer and builder, the State of Maryland, the DALI’s flag administration and classification society, and Synergy Marine."
Rebuilding of the Key Bridge is underway. The Department of Transportation recently canceled a contract for phase two due to rising costs.
Reconstruction costs were initially estimated at $1.9 billion with a 2028 completion date.
The price tag now sits between $4.3 and $5.2 billion, with 2030 being the anticipated reopening date.
