Washington Man Accused of Sinking His Own Yacht

Felony insurance fraud charges have been filed against a 50-year-old Seattle man who is accused of sinking his own motor yacht.

King County prosecutors charged Brian A. Lewis with making a fraudulent insurance claim. Lewis has not been jailed.

Court documents say Lewis was piloting the Jubilee from Bainbridge Island to Seattle on March 22 when he scuttled the yacht halfway through the trip. Insurance investigators examining the boat found that a 2-inch hole had been cut into the boat’s hull and that the bilge system had been damaged.

The documents say Lewis admitted to federal agents and Seattle detectives to sinking the boat because the “financial pressure and frustration” of maintaining the boat “caused him extreme anxiety.”

Prior to the sinking, Lewis had attempted to sell the boat at an asking price of $28,500.