What were the conditions like aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln?
Families of USS Lincoln sailors describe missed milestones, poor conditions and months of uncertainty during an unusually long deployment.
Two former Navy sailors admitted to selling fentanyl-laced pills in 2022 and 2023 to seamen assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln. One of the service members died after taking the pills and another overdosed.
Bailey Szramowski, 29, and Johnnese Poomaihealani, 25, pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court on Sept. 14 to one count each of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, according to court records reviewed by USA TODAY.
The ex-sailors, who are married and both from Hawaii, sold counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to the two other U.S. Navy service members stationed in San Diego and assigned to the USS Abraham Lincoln, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California said in a news release.
Szramowski provided one service member assigned to the ship with 10 counterfeit oxycodone pills in December 2022, according to court records. The individual overdosed and died of acute fentanyl intoxication in January 2023, officials said.
Second sailor overdoses on fentanyl pills sold on Navy ship
Despite knowing of the death, Szramowski sold three more pills to another sailor 10 days later, court records continue.
After the sailor who purchased the pills was taken to the hospital for a suspected overdose from which he recovered, Szramowski and Poomaihealani called him and encouraged him to lie about where he got the pills, the two former service members admitted.
A grand jury indicted the couple in February 2025. Szramowski faces a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine, online court records show. Poomaihealani faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine
They are set to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro on Dec. 11.
The military this week confirmed that the USS Abraham Lincoln was in transit back to San Diego after a “brief logistics stop” on the U.S. naval base in Guam following a long-term deployment for the Iran war. It left the Middle East amid reports of mental health concerns and deteriorating conditions on board, sparking sharp criticism of military officials.
Many Americans in recent polling say the war with Iran is not worth the fight, and President Donald Trump’s approval rating has has dropped over his handling of the conflict.
Contribuing: Joey Garrison and Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY; Reuters
Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.