Another K-Line Executive Gets Jail Time

Another former executive of Japan-based Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. (K-Line) pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 14 months in a U.S. prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to fix prices in the United States and elsewhere, the US Department of Justice informed on Friday. 

Just a week ago a K-Line executive was sentenced to 18 months of prison by the court in Baltimore on the same grounds.

According to the one-count felony charge filed in the Bltimore Court, Takashi Yamaguchi, who was a general manager and executive officer in K-Line’s car carrier division, conspired to allocate customers and routes, rig bids and fix prices for the sale of international ocean shipments of roll-on, roll-off cargo to and from the United States and elsewhere, including the Port of Baltimore.

Yamaguchi participated in the conspiracy from at least as early as July 2006 until at least April 2010, the Department said.

“Today’s sentencing is another step in our efforts to hold executives accountable for raising the cost of shipping cars, trucks and other equipment to and from the United States,” said Bill Baer, Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division.  “We will continue to pursue the corporations and executives whose illegal agreements have harmed American consumers.”  

Pursuant to the plea agreement, Yamaguchi was sentenced to serve a 14-month prison term and pay a USD 20,000 criminal fine for his participation in the conspiracy.  In addition, Yamaguchi has agreed to assist the department in its ongoing investigation into the ocean shipping industry.

Previously, three corporations have agreed to plead guilty and to pay criminal fines totaling more than USD 136 million, including Yamaguchi’s employer K-Line, which was sentenced to pay a criminal fine of USD 67.7 million in November 2014.