2 sentenced in plot to sink boat off Cape May

Two former fishing boat crew members were sentenced to prison Tuesday after admitting that they were part of a plot to sink the Alexander II off the coast of Cape May in 2009.

Erik James, 40, of Goshen, and Christopher Martin, 40, of Wildwood, each were sentenced to 30 months in prison during hearings before U.S. District Judge Renee Martin Bumb in Camden.

The two had pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to destroy the Alexander II on the high seas so that the boat's owner could collect on a $400,000 insurance policy. Both admitted that they had been paid to take part in the plot, in which the 75-foot fishing boat was scuttled about 86 miles off the coast.

Two other crew members and the boat's owner are awaiting sentencing for their roles. The crew was rescued in a life raft by the Coast Guard after abandoning the ship on Aug. 2, 2009. The boat did not sink.    - George Anastasia