The New Jersey boat owner and captain was sentenced to more than a year in prison after causing the death of a 7-year-old boy and his aunt when the boat their group chartered for a Hudson River tour capsized in 2022, throwing more than a dozen people overboard.
Richard Cruz was arrested in March 2024 along with another man, his pilot. Cruz pleaded guilty in October to one count of misconduct and neglect of a ship officer resulting in death, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced Thursday.
Richard Cruz has been held accountable for his misconduct and negligent actions that caused the tragic deaths of a young boy and a woman when Cruz’s vessel capsized in the Hudson River," said U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon. "This prosecution should send a message to all captains and operators of commercial vessels that there will be consequences when they fail to follow the federal regulations and safety protocols that exist to keep passengers safe."
Lindelia Vasquez, 48, and 7-year-old Julian Vasquez, were among a group of family and friends who chartered a boat, Stimulus Money, out of New Jersey on July 12, 2022. They were trapped under the vessel when it flipped over in the Hudson near Pier 86, in front of the USS Intrepid in the middle of the afternoon. They later died.
Cruz and his pilot had been accused of conducting boat “tours” for paying customers onboard the vessel on multiple occasions in the months leading up to the capsizing, although they did not have the required United States Coast Guard credentials and certifications to do so.
According to prosecutors, Cruz's negligent actions and omissions caused the capsizing and, therefore, the two deaths. Aside from required documentation issues, prosecutors say Stimulus Money had 13 people on board at the time of the capsizing, which is more than the max capacity for that boat. They allege Cruz drove the boat at a high rate of speed while small craft advisory for high winds and heavy seas advisory was in effect.
Stimulus Money was a 24-foot Yamaha AR-240 jet boat with a top speed just below 52 mph and a 12-person capacity, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
