The US Department of Justice recently said a federal grand jury in Miami returned an indictment recently charging a Florida business owner with multiple counts of wire fraud, money laundering, and forgery for his alleged role in orchestrating a scheme to defraud the US Department of Defense and other federal agencies. 

He allegedly did so by submitting altered and fake invoices to US Navy ships and other vessels through the SEA Card Program, which allows US vessels to purchase critical fuel from suppliers at ports around the world.

According to court documents filed in the Southern District of Florida, between August 2022 and January 2024, Jasen Butler, 37, of Jupiter, Florida, the owner of Independent Marine Oil Services LLC, submitted dozens of falsified documents to multiple U.S. warships — including the USS Patriot — demanding and receiving over USD 5 million dollars in payments for phony expenses that Butler had not incurred. 

These ships were attempting to purchase fuel in international ports such as Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Croatia, among others. Butler also concealed his identity from government officials by using a false name and feigning employment by a fictitious fuel division of a different company. As alleged in the indictment, Butler used the millions in fraud proceeds to personally enrich himself and purchase multiple properties, including in Florida and Colorado. 

“This indictment sends a clear, public message: the Antitrust Division and its Procurement Collusion Strike Force under President Trump will not rest until all who defraud the brave men and women of the U.S. military and the American taxpayers receive swift justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail A. Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.

“Our office is steadfast in its commitment to prosecute individuals that seek to unjustly profit at the expense of the U.S. military,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Such fraud undermines military readiness and jeopardizes the dedicated service members who selflessly defend our country.”

“Mr. Butler’s alleged involvement in unlawfully submitting fraudulent invoices related to U.S. naval ships receiving fuel during port visits is an affront to the warfighter and taxpayer,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS remains committed to thoroughly investigating those who commit fraud impacting the Department of Navy.”

“Those who exploit the Department of Defense for personal gain — by inflating costs, falsifying bids, or manipulating the contracting process — will be relentlessly pursued and held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. 

“DCIS and our law enforcement partners remain unwavering in our mission to protect taxpayer dollars and preserve the integrity of DoD contracts that directly support our nation’s warfighters.”

If convicted, Butler faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, up to 10 years for each count of forgery, and up to 10 years for each count of money laundering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

The case was investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

Photo credit: Pepi Stojanovski from Unsplash
Published: 20 June, 2025

The Appellate Division of the High Court on Thursday (5 June) has found a former Director of defunct Singapore bunker supplier Inter-Pacific Petroleum (IPP) not liable to pay up to USD 146 million of the company’s total USD 156 million loss. 

The decision sets aside an earlier decision by the High Court that found Dr Goh Jin Hian responsible for the company’s financial loss. 

The Appellate Division of the High Court found that even though it agreed that Dr Goh had breached his duty of care as a director, IPP has failed to show that his breach caused loss to the company.

In a judgment issued by the Appellate Division of the High Court, sighted by Manifold Times, it wrote: “While we agree with the Judge that Dr Goh had breached the Care Duty by reason of his ignorance of the cargo trading business, IPP has failed to show causation, ie, that the breach caused the loss in question. 

“Also, we disagree with the Judge that the Care Duty was breached as regards the purported red flags. Finally, we find that Dr Goh did not breach the Creditor Duty in relation to the Cargo Drawdowns.”

The justices presiding the appeal were Tay Yong Kwang, Woo Bih Li and Kannan Ramesh.

IPP Judicial Managers (JMs) Deloitte Singapore, the plaintiffs, on April 2023 initiated a legal suit against Dr Goh, the defendant, suing him for over USD 156 million over losses due to alleged breach of his Director’s duties.

A timeline organised list of events preceding the current development of Inter-Pacific Petroleum has been recorded by Manifold Times below:

Related: Singapore: Ex-Director of Inter-Pacific Petroleum appeals High Court decision
Related: Singapore: Former auditors of Inter-Pacific Petroleum undergo private oral examination at court
Related: Singapore: Civil trial between Inter-Pacific Petroleum and Dr Goh Jin Hian begins
Related: Former Singapore Director of Inter-Pacific Petroleum sued for USD 156 million
Related: Inter-Pacific Petroleum creditors authorised to fund lawsuit against former Director
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Related: Singapore: Inter-Pacific Group receives winding up order from High Court
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Related: MPA revokes Inter-Pacific Petroleum Pte Ltd bunker supplier licence
Related: Co-heads of Trade and Commodities Finance for Asia-Pacific leave SocGen
Related: Inter-Pacific Group, Inter-Pacific Petroleum to hold creditors’ meet
Related: NewOcean detains Singapore-flagged bunker tanker “Pacific Energy 28”
Related: SocGen lawsuit against NewOcean Petroleum dropped, party to counterclaim
Related: MPA revokes Inter-Pacific Petroleum bunker craft operator licence
Related: Magnets on MFMs: Trial starts for former bunker clerk of “Consort Justice
Related: First suspect charged over MFM tampering in landmark case
Related: With nearly $180 million of debt, IPP proposes interim judicial management
Related: Inter-Pacific Group, Inter-Pacific Petroleum under judicial management
Related: Magnets on MFMs: “Consort Justice” crew pleads ‘not guilty’ to tampering charge
Related: IPP responds to temporary suspension of bunker craft operator licence
Related: MPA temporarily suspends IPP bunker craft operator licence
Related: Singapore: Bunker Cargo officer, crew face charges over alleged MFM tampering

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 6 June, 2025

Four Dutch men, who were crew members of Netherlands-flagged dredger Vox Maxima when it crashed into a Singapore-flagged bunker vessel in 2024 and caused a major bunker spill in Singapore, were each handed fines in a Singapore court on Thursday (2 April), according to The Straits Times.

Merijn Heidema, 26, who was a third engineer at the time of the incident, and Eric Peijpers, 56, then a second engineer, were each fined SGD 40,000. Both were the officers in charge of the engineering watch at the time. 

Richard Ouwehand, 49, who was Vox Maxima’s master, and Martin Hans Sinke, 48, then the vessel’s chief officer and in charge of its navigational watch, were each fined SGD 20,000.

Manifold Times previously reported that all four men pleaded guilty for failing to discharge their duties properly.

Heidema, Peijpers, Sinke, and  Ouwehand pleaded guilty to one charge each under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 at the State Courts. 

Singapore-flagged bunker vessel Marine Honour was hit by Vox Maxima at Pasir Panjang Terminal on 14 June last year, which resulted in an oil spill in Singapore waters.

The crash caused one of Marine Honour’s oil cargo tanks to rupture, releasing 400 metric tonnes (mt) of low-sulphur fuel oil into the sea. 

The dredger lost propulsion and steering control before crashing into Marine Honour.

Related: Dutch crew members plead guilty over their role in major 2024 Singapore bunker spill
Related: Four Dutch seafarers charged for alleged roles in causing Singapore oil spill
Related: Thirteen deficiencies flagged during inspection for dredger involved in Singapore oil spill
Related: Singapore oil spill: Minister refutes claim that contractor was slow in preventing further spillage
Related: MPA: Claims exceeding liability of “Marine Honour” owner will be made against international fund
Related: MPA: Owner of bunker tanker involved in Singapore oil spill is liable for pollution damage
Related: Malaysia to look into demands of Johor fisherman affected by oil spill from Singapore
Related: Singapore oil spill: Clean-up enters next phase of cleaning rock bunds
Related: MPA: Clean-up ops continue following oil spill in Singapore, affected beaches closed
Related: Singapore: Oil spill cleanup after allision between dredger “Vox Maxima” and bunker tanker “Marine Honour”

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 3 April, 2025