President Trump pardoned two Florida divers convicted of theft after they freed 19 sharks and a grouper from a longline near the Florida coast.
John Moore Jr., the captain of a shark-diving charter boat, and Tanner Mansell, a crew member, spotted what they believed to be an illegal fishing line approximately 3 miles from the Jupiter inlet in August 2020.
Doing what they said they believed to be the right thing to do, the men freed the shark and grouper, reported the line to state wildlife officials and brought it back to shore.
But federal officials said the line belonged to a fisherman licensed to catch sharks for research by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The two men were charged with theft of property within special maritime jurisdiction and convicted in 2022.
The duo was ordered to pay $3,343.72 in restitution but avoided prison time. Because of the federal convictions, however, they cannot vote in Florida or travel freely outside the U.S.
Last week, Trump signed full and unconditional pardons for both men.
“We never stopped fighting, and justice has finally prevailed,” Moore’s attorney, Marc Seitles, said in a statement.
“We are thrilled the White House considered our arguments and determined this was an unjust prosecution. We could not be happier for John and Tanner,” Seitles continued.
Mansell’s attorney, Ian Goldstein, also celebrated the pardon in a statement, saying the case “never should have been filed.”
“These gentlemen made an honest mistake and were trying to save sharks from what they believed to be an illegal longline fishing setup. I can’t think of two individuals more deserving of a Presidential Pardon,” Goldstein said.
The Associated Press contributed.
