A former BP engineer has been found guilty of obstructing the investigation into the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster.
A jury in New Orleans took two days to find Kurt Mix guilty of one charge of obstructing justice by deleting text messages relating to BP’s efforts to the fatal Macondo spill.
The 52-year-old, from Katy, Texas, was cleared him of a second similar charge by the jury. Mix declined to comment after the verdict.
He was released on bond, with sentencing scheduled for March 26 next year. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Mix, who did not give evidence during the trial, was accused by prosecutors of trying to destroy evidence by deleting text messages to and from a supervisor and a BP contractor relating to the Gulf of Mexico spill.
His lawyers had argued that he did not hide anything, and that the same material in the text was also found in other evidence given to investigators.
Mix was a part of the team of experts who tried to stop the flow of oil using the ‘top kill’ technique.
He is the first of four people to go on trial on charges relating to the disaster, which saw 11 workers killed and millions of gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf.