WBRZ - Baton Rouge

A Greek shipping company will pay more than $1 million in penalties and fines after one of its ships illegally discharged oil and failed to report it to authorities.

Stanships Inc. of Athens, Greece, agreed to pay a $700,000 criminal penalty, a $525,000 fine and a $125,000 community service payment after pleading guilty to violating federal pollution laws.

Prosecuters say crew members on one of the company's ships, the Doric Glory, knew it had an oil leak in its stern tube but didn't keep any records of the problem or report it to the Coast Guard.

Prosecutors also say the ship's oily water separator wasn't functioning properly from December 2009 until May 2010.