Two former Navy sailors face years in jail and millions in fines after they pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl to active-duty sailors stationed on the USS Abraham Lincoln.
Bailey Szramowski, 29, and Johannese Poomaihealani, 25, who are married and live in Hawaii, pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court in San Diego to selling the pills, according to a press release from the US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Calif.
Citing court records, the office said Szramowski provided a sailor on the USS Abraham Lincoln with 10 pills in December 2022. This individual, known only by his initials, A.N., overdosed and died of acute fentanyl intoxication in January 2023.
At the time of his death, A.N. was on leave and staying in a care parked outside a home in San Leandro, Calif., that his aunt and uncle owned, according to The New York Times, citing records.
The statement said that, despite knowing of this death, Szramowski then sold three more pills to another sailor, identified as C.L., 10 days later. This sailor had hospital treatment for a suspected overdose and recovered and Szramowski and Poomaihealani asked C.L. to tell law enforcement from A.N., not Szramowski.
The Times also reported that Szramowski asked A.N.’s aunt and uncle to delete messages that he and A.N. had exchanged from his phone.
The pair have been charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. For Szramowski, this charge carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison and maximum of up to 40 years, as well as a $5 million fine.
Poomailhealani faces 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
“My client is extremely remorseful for everything that happened, especially the death of A.N., who was a good friend of theirs,” a lawyer for Poomaihealani, Michael Littman, told The Times. “She has accepted responsibility for her limited involvement in this case and is anxious to go forward with her life after her separation from the Navy.”
U.S. District Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro is scheduled to sentence Szramowski and Poomaihealani on Dec. 11.
Issues on the USS Abraham Lincoln
The USS Abraham Lincoln has been the subject of scrutiny in recent months.
The Navy vessel has hit the headlines after a months-long deployment in the Middle East sparked concerns among lawmakers and civilians about conditions on the ship, which has 5,000 sailors and Marines on board and was involved in combat with Iran for more than five months.
Sailors made multiple attempts to jump overboard and experienced other issues with their mental health on the ship, according to multiple reports.
Naval families cited safety concerns, food shortages, water contamination, and disruption in the mail system while the vessel was at sea.
The vessel is currently in Pattaya, Thailand, for a temporary reprieve. It was replaced by the USS George Washington.
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