President Donald Trump has pardoned two South Florida shark divers who were found guilty of stealing after rescuing 19 sharks and a massive grouper from a fisherman’s longline numerous miles offshore.
On Wednesday, John Moore Jr. and Tanner Mansell signed their pardons. Theft of property within special marine jurisdiction was the charge against them in 2022.
Despite avoiding jail time, the two men were sentenced to pay $3,343.72 in compensation and were prohibited from traveling freely outside of the United States, holding firearms, and voting in Florida due to their felony convictions.
“We never stopped fighting, and justice has finally prevailed,” Moore’s attorney, Marc Seitles, stated 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.”
According to court documents, in August 2020, Moore, the captain of a shark-diving charter boat, and Mansell, a crew member, noticed the longline around 3 miles off the Jupiter Inlet.
The men took the line back to shore, liberated the grouper and sharks, and reported it to state wildlife officials because they thought it was an unlawful fishing line.
The men were later charged with theft by federal prosecutors. The line, according to officials, actually belonged to a fisherman who had a National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration license to capture sharks for scientific purposes.
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A jury found Mansell and Moore guilty, and they were eventually unable to appeal their convictions. Trump’s unconditional and complete pardons nullify the convictions.
“This case never should have been filed,” Mansell’s attorney, Ian Goldstein, stated in a statement. “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.”
