USCG Administrative Law Judge Case
U.S. Coast Guard vs. Andrew W. Betnar
In U.S. Coast Guard vs. Andrew W. Betnar, docket CG S&R 05-0593, the Coast Guard filed a complaint on November 3, 2005 seeking revocation of Betnar’s license. The settlement papers state that Betnar entered the settlement to resolve the matter, admitted the jurisdictional allegations, and neither admitted nor denied the factual allegations. Judge Parlen L. McKenna approved the settlement on March 2, 2006. The consent order revoked Betnar’s Coast Guard credentials but stayed the revocation so he could complete settlement conditions; if completed, the revocation would convert to a 12-month suspension followed by five years probation. A March 19, 2008 Notice of Completion states the Coast Guard accepted evidence that Betnar completed the agreement and that his records would be modified to reflect successful completion and the modified sanction.
Disposition
Settlement Agreement
Posture
Settlement
Sanction
12 months suspension followed by five years probation after successful completion of stayed-revocation settlement terms
Judge
Parlen L. McKenna
What the Record Shows
Case Summary
In the complaint served against Andrew W. Betnar, the Coast Guard initiated an administrative proceeding seeking revocation of License No. 932681. The loaded settlement papers do not include the full complaint text, but MLAA’s legacy article and the case file identify the matter as arising after a conviction for 199 counts of encouraging child sexual abuse. Because the complaint itself is not loaded as a separate readable charging document, this summary keeps the charging/outcome language tied to the consent order, settlement agreement, and notice of completion.
The settlement papers state that Betnar entered the agreement solely to resolve the matter and did not admit liability for the claims in the complaint. They state that he admitted the jurisdictional allegations, but neither admitted nor denied the factual allegations. Betnar waived hearing and appeal rights.
On March 2, 2006, Administrative Law Judge Parlen L. McKenna approved the settlement agreement. The consent order revoked Betnar’s Merchant Mariner’s License and Document and other Coast Guard documents, but stayed the revocation to permit him to complete settlement conditions. If he completed those conditions, the order provided that the revocation would convert to a 12-month suspension followed by five years probation. The terms required him to comply with Clatsop County probation, make substantial positive progress toward completing sex-offender treatment before reinstatement, provide a counselor letter indicating he was a low risk of committing a sex-related offense under the restrictions in the agreement, deposit Coast Guard credentials with Sector Portland, and refrain from performing functions requiring a Coast Guard-issued credential while the credentials were deposited.
A March 19, 2008 Notice of Completion of Settlement Agreement states that Betnar supplied evidence of successful completion and that the Coast Guard accepted the evidence. The notice states that Docketing Center and Merchant Mariner records would be modified to reflect successful completion and modification of the sanction in accordance with the agreement.
Based on public docket metadata and available source documents. Allegations are described as allegations, not findings of fact or admissions.
Outcome
Settlement agreement approved. Betnar admitted jurisdictional allegations, neither admitted nor denied factual allegations, and later completed the settlement agreement according to the Coast Guard notice of completion.
Sanction: 12 months suspension followed by five years probation after successful completion of stayed-revocation settlement terms
Duration: 12 months suspension + 5 years probation
Case Timeline
Nov 3, 2005
Complaint filed
The motion for approval states that the Coast Guard filed a complaint seeking revocation of Betnar’s license.
Feb 17, 2006
Settlement signed by respondent
Betnar signed the settlement agreement on February 17, 2006.
Mar 2, 2006
Consent order approved
Judge Parlen L. McKenna approved the settlement agreement.
Mar 19, 2008
Notice of completion
The Coast Guard notice states Betnar supplied evidence of successful completion and that the records would be modified accordingly.
Case Metadata
- Docket Number
- CG S&R 05-0593
- Enforcement Activity Number
- 225487
- Judge
- Parlen L. McKenna
- Source Era
- 1999–2022 Published Decisions
- Dispositive Order Type
- Notice of Completion of Settlement Agreement / Consent Order Approving Settlement Agreement
- Allegation
- Sexual Misconduct; Conviction / NDRA; Misconduct; Credential / MMC
- Source wording: MLAA legacy article and the case file identify the matter as arising after a conviction for 199 counts of encouraging child sexual abuse; the loaded settlement papers state the Coast Guard sought revocation of Betnar’s license.
- Authorities Cited
- 33 C.F.R. § 20.502
- Coast Guard Representative
- LTJG Lyons, USCG Sector Portland; PPCS Gary J. Vencill, Investigating Officer
- Mariner / Respondent Counsel
Andrew W. Betnar
Respondent; no counsel identified in loaded settlement papers / Settlement Agreement / Feb 17, 2006
Sources, Context, and Method
What This Record Does and Does Not Show
Coast Guard suspension and revocation cases are administrative proceedings about a merchant mariner credential. They generally begin when a Coast Guard investigating officer files a complaint with the ALJ Docketing Center. Unless the case goes to a hearing and an ALJ finds the complaint allegations proved in a written decision and order, the allegations should be understood as allegations, not findings.
A settlement agreement or consent order can end the proceeding without an admission of the alleged conduct. This page therefore separates what the Coast Guard alleged from what an ALJ, Commandant appeal decision, default order, settlement order, dismissal, or other public record actually decided.
MLAA builds these pages from public Coast Guard ALJ docket data, official Coast Guard source documents, preserved docket-source proof, and available orders or decisions. We preserve source records where we can, label allegations as allegations, avoid treating docket categories as factual findings, and invite source-backed corrections when a record needs to be fixed.
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