Trump pardons 2 divers who freed 19 sharks off the coast of Florida

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Two South Florida shark divers convicted of theft for freeing 19 sharks and a elephantine grouper from a fisherman’s longline person been pardoned by President Donald Trump

MIAMI -- Two South Florida shark divers convicted of theft for freeing 19 sharks and a elephantine grouper from a fisherman's longline respective miles from enactment person been pardoned by President Donald Trump.

Pardons for Tanner Mansell and John Moore Jr. were signed Wednesday. They had been convicted successful 2022 of theft of spot wrong peculiar maritime jurisdiction.

The 2 men avoided situation time, but they were ordered to wage $3,343.72 successful restitution, and the felony convictions prevented them from voting successful Florida, owning firearms and traveling freely extracurricular the U.S.

“We ne'er stopped fighting, and justness has yet prevailed,” Moore’s attorney, Marc Seitles, said successful a statement. “We are thrilled the White House considered our arguments and determined this was an unjust prosecution. We could not beryllium happier for John and Tanner.”

Moore, who was skipper of a shark-diving charter boat, and Mansell, a unit member, spotted the longline astir 3 miles (5 kilometers) disconnected the Jupiter Inlet successful August 2020, according to tribunal records. Believing it was an amerciable sportfishing line, the men freed the sharks and grouper, reported it to authorities wildlife officials and brought the enactment backmost to shore.

Federal prosecutors aboriginal charged the men with theft. Officials said the enactment really belonged to a fisherman licensed by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration to drawback sharks for research.

Mansell and Moore were convicted by a jury, and their appeals were aboriginal denied. The afloat and unconditional pardons signed by Trump erase those convictions.

“This lawsuit ne'er should person been filed,” Mansell's attorney, Ian Goldstein, said successful a statement. “These gentlemen made an honorable mistake and were trying to prevention sharks from what they believed to beryllium an amerciable longline sportfishing setup. I can’t deliberation of 2 individuals much deserving of a Presidential Pardon.”