New Delhi, June 29 -- In 2020, Florida diver Tanner Mansell was convicted of a felony after unknowingly cutting a legally approved shark research line. Thinking they were saving trapped sharks, Mansell and his team, including a police chief and SWAT officer, released 19 sharks.

They had called authorities before acting, but didn't realise the line belonged to a NOAA-approved research project. Days later, they were charged with theft in a maritime zone.

Though they didn't face jail, they had to pay a fine of $3,343.72 and lost rights like voting and travelling. On May 28, Donald Trump pardoned Mansell and his partner, clearing their record.

Mansell later said he believed he was stopping a crime, not committing one. He was shocked by the...