In a stunning turn of events, a Florida diver who thought he was saving sharks from a watery grave got slapped with a felony, only to be rescued by a presidential pardon from Donald Trump on May 28, 2025, Fox News reported.
Tanner Mansell, a 31-year-old from Jupiter, Florida, and his diving partner John Moore Jr., found themselves in deep water after cutting a fishing line to free 19 sharks in April 2020, unaware it was part of a sanctioned government research project, leading to a conviction and later a full pardon among 16 recipients issued by Trump.
Back in April 2020, Mansell and Moore were leading a dive group, including some heavy hitters like the Kansas City police chief, when they spotted a buoy tied to a longline over their dive site. A longline, for the uninitiated, is deep-sea gear with baited hooks meant to snag fish—or in this case, sharks. These guys thought they’d stumbled on something shady, not a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) operation.
“It was just another ordinary day on the water,” Mansell recalled. Well, ordinary until you’re cutting lines and freeing sharks, thinking you’re a hero while the law sees a villain. Turns out, good intentions don’t always float in court.
Before taking action, Mansell and his crew even called the Florida Wildlife Commission and NOAA’s hotline to report the setup. “We saw that it was a buoy connected to a line, which is when we started calling law enforcement,” he said. Yet, despite playing by what they thought were the rules, the hammer of justice came down hard.
Charged and convicted of theft of property within special maritime jurisdiction, the duo dodged jail but got hit with a $3,343.72 restitution bill. Those felony convictions stripped them of voting rights, gun ownership, and easy travel. Talk about a harsh lesson in bureaucratic red tape.
“I just felt like my world came to a stop, my heart sank,” Mansell admitted after the verdict. And who wouldn’t feel drowned by such a blow? The system seemed to punish a genuine mistake with a sledgehammer.
The case swam up to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, where Judge Barbara Lagoa questioned why it even proceeded. “She basically said … this should’ve never gone forward,” Mansell recounted her words. It’s refreshing to see a judge recognize when the legal net catches the wrong fish.
Publicity from the appellate opinion caught the eye of the libertarian Cato Institute, which penned an article that somehow landed on a White House desk. “The White House actually called our lawyers and said that they were looking into this,” Mansell noted. For once, a think tank’s musings did more than gather dust.
On May 28, 2025, while boarding a plane, Mansell got the call of a lifetime from his lawyer. “Well, I’ve got good news for you. You just got a full presidential pardon,” the lawyer announced, leaving Mansell speechless.
“I was speechless. I couldn’t even say thank you. I just soaked it in,” Mansell added. That’s the kind of news that turns a dark chapter into a victory lap, courtesy of Trump’s signature.
While the felony technically lingers on record, the pardon restores Mansell’s right to vote, own a firearm, and secure travel visas for his shark conservation work. “Most importantly, it expedites getting travel visas for my work in conservation,” he emphasized. Finally, a bureaucratic lifeline for a man who just wanted to protect the ocean’s predators.
Mansell’s ordeal highlights how well-meaning citizens can clash with the often murky waters of government regulation. “I got thrown into this political battle between commercial fisheries and shark diving tourism,” he reflected.
This case starkly reminds us that even noble causes can get tangled in policy nets. Still, this outcome has partly mended Mansell’s shaken faith in the system.
“At first, I lost a lot of faith in the criminal justice system, and now, a bit of that faith is restored,” he admitted. Perhaps there’s hope yet when checks and balances actually check and balance.
