Overview

• In August 2020, Capt. John Moore Jr. and crewman Tanner Mansell freed 19 sandbar sharks and a goliath grouper from a NOAA-licensed research longline off Jupiter Inlet, believing the gear was illegal.
• A federal jury found the pair guilty of theft in December 2022, and they received one year of probation plus $3,345 in restitution after appeals were denied.
• On May 28, President Trump signed full pardons that vacate their convictions and erase court-imposed penalties.
• The clemency restores the divers’ rights to vote, own firearms and travel internationally without restriction.
• Federal appellate judges labeled the theft prosecution excessive; defense attorneys agreed as the fisherman’s line suffered over $1,300 in damaged gear plus thousands more in lost shark value.