Latest news with #Worthen
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hawaii tour boat operator allegedly faked credentials
A tour boat operator involved in a snorkeling accident that injured 10 people in June 2022 is facing federal charges after he allegedly stole personal identifying information to fake his credential for more than a decade, according to federal court records. Jeffrey Scott Worthen, 61, worked on tour boats in Alaska and Maui since the late 1990s and allegedly stole the identities of a boat captain, a business owner and an ex-girlfriend to create fake federal credentials that allowed him to get work. Worthen needed a 'Merchant Mariner Credential, ' a U.S. Coast Guard issued credential that serves as the mariner's 'qualification document, certificate of identification, and certificate of service ' and must be produced when requested to prove the ability to work on the water. The credential is not valid until signed by the applicant and an authorized Coast Guard official. Worthen is charged with fraud within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the U.S., aggravated identity theft and making false statements to federal investigators, according to a March 27 criminal complaint. He allegedly submitted fraudulent MMC cards to his employers in Alaska and Hawaii from 2012 to 2022, according to federal court documents. On June 9, 2022, the 26-foot rigid hull inflatable 'Great White ' owned and operated by Hawaii Ocean Rafting of Lahaina, was underway with 15 passengers and two crew members, including Worthen at the helm and a deckhand. At about 10 :22 a.m. that morning while en route to a second snorkel site, Worthen 'attempted to pass through a section of water between Sweetheart Rock and another rocky pinnacle near Lanai when the vessel struck a rock, ' according to an affidavit authored by special agent with the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. Five passengers were ejected overboard into the water, and nine passengers and a deckhand were injured. The damage to the vessel resulted in flooding. After recovering all passengers from the water, passengers and crew members donned life jackets and started waving down other boats because the radio didn't work. Two vessels responded and took the passengers back to Lahaina Harbor. As part of the Coast Guard's investigation of the crash, they asked for the company's personnel records, which included credential checks. Investigators identified 'several major discrepancies ' with the MMC Worthen shared with Hawaii Ocean Rafting's owners. They included a profile picture not within policy ; the MMC's document reference and serial number were assigned to a different person ; Worthen's personal information not in capitalized letters ; the Officer in Charge of Marine Inspections name and signature were not the applicable person, and standard watermarks and holograms used on properly issued MMCs were faded, according to the affidavit. A check of the serial number revealed it belonged to a man in Maryland and the document number belonged to a boat captain in Alaska that Worthen worked with doing whale watching tours. During an interview with investigators on Sept. 14, 2022, Worthen allegedly said he 'renewed his MMC online ' through the Coast Guard's Portal and 'uploaded all information and his picture, which was taken by him in his bedroom.' 'He denied the MMC copies being false and signed the copies presented, as true copies of his MMC. Additionally, Worthen stated he lost his MMC overboard during the incident and that he had thrown away all prior MMC's. He had been working on commercial vessels in Maui and Alaska since the 1990s, ' according to the affidavit. Worthen is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court Thursday before Magistrate Judge Barry M. Kurren. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren M. Naka mura is prosecuting the case. Worthen is represented by the office of the Federal Public Defender.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hawaii tour boat operator allegedly faked credentials
A tour boat operator involved in a snorkeling accident that injured 10 people in June 2022 is facing federal charges after he allegedly stole personal identifying information to fake his credential for more than a decade, according to federal court records. Jeffrey Scott Worthen, 61, worked on tour boats in Alaska and Maui since the late 1990s and allegedly stole the identities of a boat captain, a business owner and an ex-girlfriend to create fake federal credentials that allowed him to get work. Worthen needed a 'Merchant Mariner Credential, ' a U.S. Coast Guard issued credential that serves as the mariner's 'qualification document, certificate of identification, and certificate of service ' and must be produced when requested to prove the ability to work on the water. The credential is not valid until signed by the applicant and an authorized Coast Guard official. Worthen is charged with fraud within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the U.S., aggravated identity theft and making false statements to federal investigators, according to a March 27 criminal complaint. He allegedly submitted fraudulent MMC cards to his employers in Alaska and Hawaii from 2012 to 2022, according to federal court documents. On June 9, 2022, the 26-foot rigid hull inflatable 'Great White ' owned and operated by Hawaii Ocean Rafting of Lahaina, was underway with 15 passengers and two crew members, including Worthen at the helm and a deckhand. At about 10 :22 a.m. that morning while en route to a second snorkel site, Worthen 'attempted to pass through a section of water between Sweetheart Rock and another rocky pinnacle near Lanai when the vessel struck a rock, ' according to an affidavit authored by special agent with the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. Five passengers were ejected overboard into the water, and nine passengers and a deckhand were injured. The damage to the vessel resulted in flooding. After recovering all passengers from the water, passengers and crew members donned life jackets and started waving down other boats because the radio didn't work. Two vessels responded and took the passengers back to Lahaina Harbor. As part of the Coast Guard's investigation of the crash, they asked for the company's personnel records, which included credential checks. Investigators identified 'several major discrepancies ' with the MMC Worthen shared with Hawaii Ocean Rafting's owners. They included a profile picture not within policy ; the MMC's document reference and serial number were assigned to a different person ; Worthen's personal information not in capitalized letters ; the Officer in Charge of Marine Inspections name and signature were not the applicable person, and standard watermarks and holograms used on properly issued MMCs were faded, according to the affidavit. A check of the serial number revealed it belonged to a man in Maryland and the document number belonged to a boat captain in Alaska that Worthen worked with doing whale watching tours. During an interview with investigators on Sept. 14, 2022, Worthen allegedly said he 'renewed his MMC online ' through the Coast Guard's Portal and 'uploaded all information and his picture, which was taken by him in his bedroom.' 'He denied the MMC copies being false and signed the copies presented, as true copies of his MMC. Additionally, Worthen stated he lost his MMC overboard during the incident and that he had thrown away all prior MMC's. He had been working on commercial vessels in Maui and Alaska since the 1990s, ' according to the affidavit. Worthen is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court Thursday before Magistrate Judge Barry M. Kurren. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren M. Naka mura is prosecuting the case. Worthen is represented by the office of the Federal Public Defender.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Tour boat operator allegedly faked credentials
A tour boat operator involved in a snorkeling accident that injured 10 people in June 2022 is facing federal charges after he allegedly stole personal identifying information to fake his credential for more than a decade, according to federal court records. Jeffrey Scott Worthen, 61, worked on tour boats in Alaska and Maui since the late 1990s and allegedly stole the identities of a boat captain, a business owner and an ex-girlfriend to create fake federal credentials that allowed him to get work. Worthen needed a 'Merchant Mariner Credential, ' a U.S. Coast Guard issued credential that serves as the mariner's 'qualification document, certificate of identification, and certificate of service ' and must be produced when requested to prove the ability to work on the water. The credential is not valid until signed by the applicant and an authorized Coast Guard official. Worthen is charged with fraud within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the U.S., aggravated identity theft and making false statements to federal investigators, according to a March 27 criminal complaint. He allegedly submitted fraudulent MMC cards to his employers in Alaska and Hawaii from 2012 to 2022, according to federal court documents. On June 9, 2022, the 26-foot rigid hull inflatable 'Great White ' owned and operated by Hawaii Ocean Rafting of Lahaina, was underway with 15 passengers and two crew members, including Worthen at the helm and a deckhand. At about 10 :22 a.m. that morning while en route to a second snorkel site, Worthen 'attempted to pass through a section of water between Sweetheart Rock and another rocky pinnacle near Lanai when the vessel struck a rock, ' according to an affidavit authored by special agent with the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. Five passengers were ejected overboard into the water, and nine passengers and a deckhand were injured. The damage to the vessel resulted in flooding. After recovering all passengers from the water, passengers and crew members donned life jackets and started waving down other boats because the radio didn't work. Two vessels responded and took the passengers back to Lahaina Harbor. As part of the Coast Guard's investigation of the crash, they asked for the company's personnel records, which included credential checks. Investigators identified 'several major discrepancies ' with the MMC Worthen shared with Hawaii Ocean Rafting's owners. They included a profile picture not within policy ; the MMC's document reference and serial number were assigned to a different person ; Worthen's personal information not in capitalized letters ; the Officer in Charge of Marine Inspections name and signature were not the applicable person, and standard watermarks and holograms used on properly issued MMCs were faded, according to the affidavit. A check of the serial number revealed it belonged to a man in Maryland and the document number belonged to a boat captain in Alaska that Worthen worked with doing whale watching tours. During an interview with investigators on Sept. 14, 2022, Worthen allegedly said he 'renewed his MMC online ' through the Coast Guard's Portal and 'uploaded all information and his picture, which was taken by him in his bedroom.' 'He denied the MMC copies being false and signed the copies presented, as true copies of his MMC. Additionally, Worthen stated he lost his MMC overboard during the incident and that he had thrown away all prior MMC's. He had been working on commercial vessels in Maui and Alaska since the 1990s, ' according to the affidavit. Worthen is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court Thursday before Magistrate Judge Barry M. Kurren. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren M. Naka mura is prosecuting the case. Worthen is represented by the office of the Federal Public Defender.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Extra bucks: Weber State freezes tuition, fee increases for students with fewer than 60 credit hours
Some good news for Fawn Worthen and thousands of other budget-minded Weber State students arrived just days after tuition hikes were reported at all eight of Utah's degree granting colleges and universities. The Ogden university has announced that it's pausing tuition and fee increases in the 2025-26 academic year for students with less than 60 credit hours. Almost half of Weber State University's full-time residents, including Worthen, are on the shy side of earning 60 credit hours — the number required to earn an associate degree. First- and second-year students who attend WSU in the fall and spring semester are expected to save $135 per year, according to the university. 'That's a modest start to what we hope will be even greater savings in the future,' said WSU President Brad Mortensen. 'We know that every dollar matters for our students, so we're hoping this pilot program can serve as a model for the state to follow and eventually get students saving closer to $1,000 per year.' A Layton native, Worthen is pursuing an associate degree in communications at WSU. Learning that she would have few extra bucks in her pocket to help pay for food, transportation and other student expenses was welcome news 'It's humbling,' Worthen told the Deseret News. 'It feels like we're being seen.' Last Friday, the Utah Board of Higher Education approved a 'sub-inflationary 2.23% systemwide weighted average increase' among the state's public colleges and universities. A resident undergraduate student at WSU taking 15 credits per semester during the 2025-2026 academic year should expect to pay $68 more than the previous academic year — a 1.03% increase. But tuition and fees increases will be frozen for WSU's lower division students with fewer than 60 credit hours, according to Monday's announcement. Mortensen points to studies revealing 'significant enrollment growth' when the cost of earning an associate degree was cut by $1,000. In a study published by University of Texas at Austin, researchers found that reducing community college tuition by $1,000 'increased enrollment in community college by 5.1 percentage points, roughly a 20% increase.' Weber State's partial tuition freeze comes as a result of its dual mission, which sees the university serving two distinct student populations: those pursuing two-year degrees and those pursuing four-year degrees, according to the university. Mortensen said tuition rates for the two populations should also be distinct in order to help remove cost barriers for those in their first two years of college. 'Getting an associate degree should be just as affordable at four-year colleges as it is at community colleges,' Mortensen said. WSU offers a variety of associate degrees — including an Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Applied Science (AAS) — in a variety of disciplines such as entrepreneurship, communication and health sciences. For many Weber State students, an associate degree doubles as a pathway to a bachelor's degree. Others use their associate degree to launch their careers in specific fields. Utah Valley University and Utah Tech University are also dual-mission institutions. Weber State's decision to freeze tuition and fees for associate degrees comes at a financially turbulent moment in local academia. Along with Utah's seven other public degree-granting higher education institutions, WSU is developing a 'strategic reinvestment' plan required by the Legislature to reallocate millions to programs determined to be of highest value. Approximately $6.7 million of WSU's state-provided budget will have to be reallocated to implement its future reinvestment plan. WSU has assembled a committee of stakeholder groups including faculty representation from each of the university's colleges to navigate implementation of House Bill 265, according to a university information page dedicated to the reinvestment plan. That committee will examine criteria and identify potential cost saving in reallocating academic and student success programs to comply with the recently passed HB 265. Meanwhile, several key administrative positions at WSU have already been eliminated. WSU also announced a 'voluntary separation incentive program' for eligible employees in academic affairs. 'Ultimately, difficult decisions will need to be made that impact people and programs, and our goal is to avoid as many involuntary layoffs as possible,' according to a university site explaining the separation program. 'Offering a voluntary separation package early provides an option for those interested and helps inform our HB 265 planning process,' the site noted. This week's announcement of a tuition and fees freeze for students with less than 60 credit hours will impact legions of WSU students. For the current academic year, Weber State enjoyed the largest enrollment spike — 7.09% — of any Utah public college or university. And for the fourth consecutive year, Weber State welcomed its largest-ever student body in September. More than 32,400 students matriculated at the Ogden public university for the 2024 fall semester. Utah's flagship university, the University of Utah, experienced a 4.7% enrollment increase in 2024. Utah State University and Southern Utah University enrollment increased 2.98% and 2.73% percent, respectively. The Beehive State's largest community college, Salt Lake Community College, reported a 2.51% enrollment growth from last year.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill headed to Senate seeks to clarify penalties for stealing Oklahoma shopping carts
Rep. Rande Worthen, R-Lawton, left, is the author of a bill that would specifically criminalize the theft of shopping carts. Worthen is pictured during the legislative session on May 30 at the state Capitol. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — House lawmakers on Wednesday advanced legislation that would specifically criminalize the removal of shopping carts from businesses, a move that critics said targets homeless Oklahomans. House Bill 1689 would make possessing or removing a shopping cart from the parking area of a retail establishment illegal, whether 'permanently or temporarily.' It is already illegal to steal property, but bill author Rep. Rande Worthen, R-Lawton, said this legislation 'is clarifying that shopping carts are property and to take it is illegal.' Worthen said a Walmart in his community is losing 1,000 to 1,200 shopping carts, at a cost of about $250,000 per year to replace them. He said he hopes his legislation will lead to cleaner and safer communities without shopping carts discarded in ravines or along the side of a road. He said his legislation is not meant to target the unhoused, but the purpose of the measure still drew skepticism from House Democrats who said it will disproportionately affect the poor. 'This is not a problem of cartels running shopping cart rings,' said Rep. Michelle McCane, D-Tulsa. 'We're talking about impoverished people taking carts to either carry all of the belongings that they own because they are experiencing homelessness or to get their items from one place to another. … As someone who has spent a significant amount of their life in poverty, or close to it, and knowing that many of our constituents are much closer to homelessness than wealth, I greatly encourage a 'no' vote on this bill.' The penalty for stealing a shopping cart would be a misdemeanor with up to one year in county jail, a fine not to exceed $1,000, or both. The measure faced bipartisan questions about how law enforcement would enforce it and if Oklahomans could be prosecuted if they find and decide to keep discarded shopping carts. Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, said lawmakers spent nearly an hour of their time Wednesday 'discussing the life and death of a shopping cart in a municipality.' Rep. Forrest Bennett, D-Oklahoma City, replied that discussion is one of the few instances that Democratic lawmakers have a say. 'This is an important one to discuss, because, as the author himself reiterated several times, this is already the law,' he said. 'And from our perspective, and the educator perspective of some of my caucus members, we know that this is a tool that will be used to target those experiencing homelessness.' Rep. Jared Deck, D-Norman, said he was 'born into a family retail business' and keeping track of the store's property is the responsibility of the owner. 'This is something that we should be taking care of in the private sector, and leave the government out of it,' he said. The bill passed 54-33, with bipartisan opposition. It heads to the Senate for consideration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
