A Florida man pleaded guilty in connection to a horrifying video of a shark dragged at high speeds behind a boat.
Michael Wenzel, 22, pleaded guilty Thursday in Hillsborough County to charges of misdemeanor animal cruelty and using an illegal method to catch a shark, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Wenzel — who was the boat pilot — entered a plea deal that will require him to spend 10 days in jail and 11 months on probation.
In July 2017, video footage surfaced allegedly showing Wenzel and pals dragging the shark from a speeding boat.
“Look, it’s already almost dead,” one man was heard saying in the video.
The footage posted to Instagram went viral and sparked outrage from animal activists, who characterized the incident as “animal lynching.”
“I mean this just wasn’t hooked on a line and accidentally dragged. This was purposeful and tragic,” Eric Hovland, associate curator of the Florida Aquarium, told news station WFLA.
Prosecutors requested Wenzel serve community service hours at an animal shelter.




