"HOUSTON — Nearly four years after the Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion that left 11 dead, a former low-level engineer at BP was found guilty on Wednesday of obstruction of justice for deleting messages during a federal investigation into how much oil leaked."
"Kurt Mix, a drilling and completions project engineer from Katy, Tex., was the first of four current or former BP employees charged criminally for actions related to the well blowout to be tried and convicted. The one count of obstruction of justice carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000.
A federal jury in New Orleans deliberated for more than nine hours before deciding that Mr. Mix intended to destroy evidence when he deleted voice and text communications between himself and a supervisor and a BP contractor. Mr. Mix was acquitted on a second obstruction count."
Clifford Krauss reports for the New York Times December 18, 2013.
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