Sick ex-sea captain faces life in prison after admitting to raping Marchant Marine cadet in shock plea

A sicko cargo-ship captain faces life in prison after taking an 11th-hour plea deal just hours before his trial was set to begin Wednesday — admitting to drugging and raping a Merchant Marine Academy cadet while out at sea, a court heard.Ex-seaman John Merrone, 54, could spend the rest of his life behind bars after he pleaded guilty to all five counts in a sex crimes indictment for spiking a female cadet’s drink and raping her aboard the Liberty Glory cargo ship on Sept.8, 2019.The shock plea deal came two hours after Merrone’s anticipated two-week trial was set to begin when Brooklyn Federal Judge Ramon E.

Reyes Jr.told the court that Merrone, the former captain of the American-flagged cargo ship, was prepared to admit to raping Jane Doe #1, the victim who was in her early 20s at the time of the attack.“Jane drank alcohol.

I knowingly gave her an intoxicant without her knowledge or consent.Jane became incapacitated.

I then had sex with her without her consent,” Merrone admitted in a robotically slow statement.Federal prosecutors have said that Merrone, of South Carolina, was aboard the maritime vessel, which originated in Bahrain and was bound for Corpus Christi, TX, when he spiked the cadet’s drink with a date-rape drug.The creep had become acquainted with the victim when he started messaging her on Facebook before she arrived on the vessel — where he continued to message her throughout their time together, authorities claim.His ruse eventually escalated to inviting Jane Doe #1 and another victim, Jane Doe #2, to his stateroom, where they could have a “soda” — an alias for booze since alcohol was banned on the vessel.“Coke Zero with u am [Jane Doe #2]????” Merrone allegedly texted Jane Doe #1, who responded by saying that she stays away from “soda.”“U may like my soda!?!?” the creep continued.The women were then served drinks from an already opened bottle of alcohol while Merrone — who claimed in court Wednesday that he had sin...