In a related case, Cardiff Marine Inc., the Liberian-registered shipping company and operator of the Capitola previously pleaded guilty to obstructing a Coast Guard examination and violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, the US implementation of MARPOL. The company was sentenced in February 2011 to pay a $2.4 million fine, and to serve three years probation subject to an environmental compliance plan that includes audits by an independent third party auditor.