A former cargo ship captain has been charged with sexually assaulting a female U.S. Merchant Marine Academy cadet after allegedly spiking her alcoholic drink while at sea in 2019, federal officials said.

John Christopher Merrone, of South Carolina, surrendered to the FBI Thursday morning and is scheduled to be arraigned in federal district court in Brooklyn Thursday afternoon on charges of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse and three counts of abusive sexual contact, records show. 

Prosecutors are not seeking his detention and he is likely to be released on bond.

Newsday reported in 2022 that Merrone had voluntarily surrendered his Merchant Mariner Credentials to the U.S. Coast Guard — making him ineligible to work at sea — only weeks after the agency filed a complaint documenting the captain's alleged misconduct toward cadets from the Kings Point school on Sept. 9, 2019, while aboard the Liberty Glory vessel.

The Liberty Maritime Corp., based in Lake Success, employed the captain at the time of the alleged misconduct.

USMMA, which trains men and women to be midshipmen working on deep sea vessels and in the military, is one of five federal service academies and the first to admit women. 

The Kings Point academy has dealt with a host of allegations of women being sexually assaulted and harassed by their male superiors at sea.

The Coast Guard investigation found Merrone invited two cadets to his stateroom and, without their knowledge, gave them alcoholic drinks spiked with an undisclosed drug or intoxicant. Once the women were incapacitated, Merrone allegedly sexually assaulted one cadet and attempted to molest the other, the investigation concluded.

In addition to the assault allegations, the Coast Guard found Merrone violated Liberty Maritime's policies prohibiting sexual harassment, discrimination and drinking alcohol aboard their vessels.

The Coast Guard Investigative Service said it launched its investigation after receiving the allegations in 2021. Other alleged victims of Merrone's came forward after the complaint was filed, the Coast Guard said.

In 2022, the Coast Guard's Suspension and Revocation National Center of Expertise filed a complaint against Merrone, who issued a response denying the allegations, officials said.

But before a hearing could be scheduled, Merrone surrendered his credentials, preventing him from working in any position that requires a Coast Guard license, the service said.

Merrone was accused of sexual assaulting a woman in his Florida Keys apartment in March 2011, according to court records. The woman said Merrone held his arms against her neck as he raped her and broke her toe to prevent her from reaching a cellphone to call for help, records show.

Merrone was convicted of false imprisonment and two counts of battery and sentenced to two years in prison in the case. But an appeals court overturned his conviction, arguing the trial court erred in not allowing the defense to recall a witness who could have provided testimony beneficial to their case.

It is unclear whether the Coast Guard was aware of the allegations when Merrone obtained his merchant mariner credentials.