A group of tourists aboard a boat to dive with sharks were conned by their captain and mate into helping them steal an authorized commercial fishing set up in the waters off of Jupiter, thinking they were helping free tangled sharks from illegal lines.
A jury convicted captain John R. Moore Jr., 56, of West Palm Beach, and mate Tanner J. Mansell, 29, of Jupiter, of theft of commercial fishing gear in the federal waters off Palm Beach County, court records show. They each face up to five years in prison.
Moore and Mansell led a group of six tourists out into the water in August 2020 to swim with sharks off the Jupiter Inlet, federal prosecutors said. While boating to their second dive spot of the day, Moore and Mansell saw a clearly marked orange buoy that designated a commercial fishing gear set.
