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.