Christopher Stefanou charged in illegal great white shark capture

Christopher Stefanou, a 30-year-old man from Massapequa, New York, has been arraigned in a Massachusetts court on multiple charges related to the illegal capture of a great white shark off Cape Cod. The charges include animal cruelty, illegal shore-based shark fishing, unauthorized possession of a prohibited species, and the illegal mechanized deployment of bait.

Prosecutors allege that in October 2025, Stefanou and his crew conducted a multi-day excursion with a European client to capture a great white shark known to researchers as ‘Aaron.’ The shark was a tagged animal being monitored by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. Authorities were alerted to the incident after Stefanou posted video footage of the capture to social media, which reportedly showed the crew using a drone and other prohibited equipment to drag the shark onto a beach for photographs before releasing it.

Stefanou’s bail was set at $10,000. As part of his release conditions, he has been ordered to surrender his fishing license, stay out of Massachusetts, and remove all social media footage related to the incident.