A federal court in Maryland has reportedly ordered two shipping companies to pay a total of $2.4 million in criminal fines after they pleaded guilty to four felony counts for multiple deliberate releases of waste oil and plastic garbage into the ocean from a cargo ship over a period of nine months. United States v. Efloia Shipping Co. SA, No. 11-652 (D. Md. 1/25/12); United States v. Aquarosa Shipping A/S, No. 11-671 (D. Md. 1/25/12). The companies were sentenced in separate hearings and ordered to pay $1.2 million each and serve three years of probation. Each company admitted to discharging oily waste on multiple occasions, dumping plastic waste overboard and falsifying entries in its oil record book to conceal the illegal activity. According to the plea agreements, $275,000 from each company will go to the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation for Chesapeake Bay projects. During their probation, each company must implement a government-approved environmental plan. See DOJ Press Release, January 26, 2012.