Miami Man Charged with Committing Involuntary Manslaughter in Special Maritime Jurisdiction of U.S., Off Bimini Coast

Miami, Florida – A 36-year-old Miami man made his initial appearance today in federal court to face charges that he committed involuntary manslaughter by crashing a boat at high-speed into a well-chartered rock formation off the coast of Bimini, Bahamas and killing two people over the Fourth of July holiday week in 2020.  

According to the allegations of the indictment unsealed today, as well as in-court statements, on July 2, 2020, Josbel Fernandez Echevarria operated a United States-numbered pleasure boat in the waters off the coast of Bimini, Bahamas.  Echevarria was driving the boat at high speed when it crashed into a well-charted rock formation known as Turtle Rock.  Two people died in the crash.

The indictment charges Echevarria with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1112.  If convicted, he faces up to eight years in prison on each charge. 

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Zinnia James, Special Agent in Charge, United States Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Southeast Region, announced the charges.    

CGIS, Southeast Region, investigated the case.  The Royal Bahamas Police Force assisted.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Watts-FitzGerald is prosecuting this case.

An indictment contains mere allegations and a defendant is innocent unless and until found guilty in a court of law.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 22-cr-20256.

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