14 indicted in pirate attack on yacht

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) -- A federal grand jury has indicted 13 suspected pirates from Somalia and one from Yemen in the February hijacking of a yacht that left four Americans dead, the U.S. Justice Department said Thursday. Department spokesman Peter Carr said the men face piracy, kidnapping and firearms charges. The Quest's owners, Jean and Scott Adam of Marina del Rey, Calif., along with their friends Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay of Seattle, were shot to death after pirates took them hostage several hundred miles south of Oman. It was the first time U.S. citizens have been killed in a wave of pirate attacks that have plagued the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean in recent years, which are typically motivated by the potential for millions of dollars in ransom money. The attacks are sparked by the potential of taking home millions of dollars in ransom money. In November, five Somali men were convicted on federal piracy charges related to the attack on the USS Nicholas. They are expected to be sentenced this month. A sixth pleaded guilty. Trials for the remaining five are pending. Published: Fri, Mar 11, 2011