A 61-year-old Lahaina man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to wire fraud and making a false statement to the U.S. Coast Guard after he used bogus credentials to work on a commercial boating operation.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Hawaii, Jeffrey Worthen was operating a vessel during a commercial snorkeling expedition in June 2022 when the boat struck a rock, sending five people overboard and injuring multiple passengers.

Prosecutors said records show Worthen falsely represented to employers as early as 2012 that he had a valid Merchant Mariner Credential issued by the U.S. Coast Guard.

In 2021, Worthen also provided the false credential to an employer who operated a small passenger vessel running snorkeling excursions near Lanai, prosecutors said.

When later questioned by the Coast Guard about the 2022 accident, Worthen again told authorities he had a valid Merchant Mariner Credential.

Worthen faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release for wire fraud. He also faces up to five years in prison, another $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release for making the false statement.

Worthen’s sentencing is scheduled for June 15.

The Coast Guard Investigative Service investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese prosecuted it.