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Trump Pardons Florida Shark Divers Convicted of Theft

The May 28 decision restores their voting, firearms, and travel rights by erasing convictions for freeing sharks from a NOAA research line.

President Donald Trump speaks at U.S. Steel Corporation's Mon Valley Works-Irvin plant, Friday, May 30, 2025, in West Mifflin, Pa. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
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Overview

  • On May 28, President Trump granted full and unconditional pardons to John Moore Jr. and Tanner Mansell, erasing their 2022 felony convictions for maritime theft.
  • In August 2020 the two men cut 19 sharks and a giant grouper free from what they believed was an illegal longline and reported the gear to state wildlife officials.
  • Federal prosecutors secured jury convictions after arguing the longline belonged to a NOAA-licensed research vessel, resulting in $3,343.72 in restitution and loss of civil rights.
  • Defense attorneys labeled the prosecution an overreach and appellate judges, including Barbara Lagoa, questioned charging men who reported their own actions in real time.
  • The shark diver pardons are among roughly 40 clemencies President Trump has issued since the start of his second term.