Miami (AP) — Two South Florida shark divers have been convicted of releasing 19 sharks in theft, and President Donald Trump pardoned a giant grouper from the fisherman several miles from the coast.
The pardons of Tanner Mansell and John Moore Jr. were signed on Wednesday. They were convicted in 2022 of property theft within special maritime jurisdiction.
The two avoided prison time, but they were ordered to pay $3,343.72 in damages, a felony conviction that prevented them from voting in Florida, owning guns and traveling freely
“We never stopped fighting and justice finally won,” Moore's attorney Marc Seitles said in a statement. “We are glad that the White House is considered our argument and determined it was an unjust prosecution. We are happy with John and Tanner.”
Moore is the captain of a shark submarine charter boat, and crewman Mansell discovered about three miles (5 kilometers) of long lines at the entrance of Jupiter in August 2020. The men believed it was an illegal fishing line, which released sharks and groupers, reported it to state wildlife officials, and brought the line back to shore.
Federal prosecutors later accused the men of theft. Officials say the line actually belongs to fishermen licensed by the National Oceanic Assipheric Administration to attract sharks to study.
Mansell and Moore were convicted by a jury and their appeal was later denied. The full and unconditional pardon signed by Trump eliminates these beliefs.
“This case should never be brought,” Mansell's attorney Ian Goldstein said in a statement. “These gentlemen made an honest mistake and tried to save the shark from a long-term fishing setup they thought was illegal. I can't think of two people who deserve the president's pardon.”
