Former BP Engineer Avoids Prison Through Plea Deal

A former BP engineer avoided prison by pleading to a reduced charge in connection with his role in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Kurt Mix was charged with obstructing an investigation into the disaster by deleting a string of text messages. He faced a potential 20 year prison sentence. Mix was acquitted on one obstruction charge and convicted of another two years ago. The conviction was set aside because of juror misconduct, and he was granted a new trial. AP reports, Mix pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of "intentionally causing damage without authorization to a protected computer." He will serve 6 months probation.