Lewis Bennett & Isabella Hellman

On May 14, 2017, Lewis Bennett was sailing with his wife, Isabella Hellman, from Cuba to Florida on their 37′ catamaran, Surf into Summer.  Sometime during the night, Hellman disappeared and the boat sank. Bennett was subsequently charged with second-degree murder in the death of his wife. Now, Bennett has pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter. The Sun Sentinel reports:

In the plea agreement finalized Monday, Bennett portrayed his wife’s death as an accident that he did not witness – though he admitted it was foreseeable and caused by his negligence.

Federal prosecutors will recommend he serve eight years in federal prison for the Delray Beach woman’s death when he is sentenced Jan. 10. The defense has agreed not to seek less than seven years in prison. The final decision on punishment lies with U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno.

When Lewis Bennett, a British engineer with Australian citizenship, was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter he was found to be carrying stolen coins. Bennett plead guilty to transporting the stolen coins in November 2017 and served a seven-month jail term.