About a year after posing with a freshly caught hammerhead shark and prompting complaints from PETA officials, Denver Broncos star Von Miller has officially avoided charges from the incident, USA Today reported Thursday. The owner and operator of the boat hosting Miller's April 2018 expedition, however, was charged with both fishing for sharks without a proper permit and failure to release a shark in the manner that will ensure maximum probability of survival. That's according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) records reported by USA Today's Josh Peter. The unidentified owner and operator has also been issued a $2,000 notice of violation and assessment, per the records. Miller was first seen with a shark back in July 2016, when The Denver Post reported that the linebacker's father had reeled one in during a vacation in the Turks and Caicos Islands. In 2018, his apparent shark fishing drew more attention when pictures and videos of the former first-round draft pick with a somewhat bloody nine-and-a-half-foot hammerhead went viral. A PETA complaint sparked an investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), with PETA's senior director of cruelty casework suggesting that Miller was a repeat offender of animal abuse. "Seeing Von Miller smile as he holds a shark's bloody body should turn any kind person's stomach," the official told Newsweek at the time. "This man has a reported history of bullying animals -- having previously made the news for wrestling an alligator -- and PETA is inquiring with officials to ensure that Miller is held accountable if killing this animal was, as we suspect, illegal." Miller told critics shortly after the April 2018 incident that "we followed the rules." The boat operator is now set to pay the price for apparently not doing so.<doc-sep>Von Miller avoided legal action after posing with a bloody hammerhead shark in April 2018 off the coast of Miami during a fishing trip, according to records obtained by USA TODAY Sports. The owner and operator of a boat, Spellbound, were charged with fishing for sharks without the proper permit and for failure to release a shark in the manner that will ensure maximum probability of survival, according to records issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). But Miller, the Pro Bowl defensive end for the Denver Broncos, was not charged in the incident, according to Kim Amendola, communications supervisor for the NOAA Fisheries/US. Department of Commerce. MOCK DRAFT:QB surprises for Giants, others in first round? OPINION:Dwayne Haskins tunes out talk of slide in NFL draft During the fishing trip, Miller landed a 9-1/2 foot hammerhead shark, and photos and video of him posing with the shark sparked a backlash from PETA and other animal rights activists. Responding to critics at the time, Miller said, “We followed the rules.’’ But records show the owner and operator of the boat will face the two charges under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. A $2,000 notice of violation and assessment was issued, according to records. The charges were listed in an March 2019 enforcement action document issued by the NOAA Office of the General Counsel. The boat’s owner and operator were not identified.<doc-sep>Denver Broncos’ linebacker Von Miller won’t be fined for holding…a bloody hammerhead shark. Miller will not be facing any legal repercussions after a photo of him posing with a hammerhead shark during a fishing trip went viral in April last year. 757-POUND SWORDFISH CAUGHT NEAR FLORIDA KEYS The NFL player avoided charges in the incident, though the owner and operator of the boat, Spellbound, were each charged with fishing for sharks without the proper permit and failing to release the shark in a way that would allow for the maximum possibility of survival, records issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated, USA Today reported. The owner and operator will face charges under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller was originally investigated by Florida wildlife officials after he posted a photo of himself on social media holding a large hammerhead shark with blood on it. The 2015 Super Bowl MVP caught the 9 1/2-foot shark off the coast of Miami over the weekend and posted a picture and video of it on his Instagram story, TMZ Sports reported last year. The photo prompted immediate backlash from those online. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS PETA spokeswoman Ashley Byrne told CBS Denver there was “no excuse” for what Miller did. “Catching and injuring and possibly killing a hammerhead shark and then prolonging the animal’s suffering and then gloating to take photos is cruel to animals, plain and simple, there is no excuse for that,” she said. Great hammerhead sharks are prohibited from being caught in state waters, according to the Florida Wildlife Commission’s website.<doc-sep>Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller will reportedly not be prosecuted for catching a hammerhead shark off the coast of Miami a year ago. The owner and operator of the boat was charged with fishing for sharks without a permit and failure to release the animal in a way that ensures maximum probability of survival, according to records obtained by USA Today. @vonmiller/Instagram Miller is an avid fisherman and hunter, but hammerheads are classified as Group 3 sharks, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the harvesting of them in state waters is a second-degree misdemeanor. In Florida, second-degree misdemeanors are punishable by up to a $500 fine and 60 days in jail, as determined by a judge. The FWC had opened an investigation after animal rights groups saw social media posts of Miller's catch and objected. Miller did release the shark and later defended his actions. "I went fishing. Everybody knows that I hunt and fish. It's what I do. But I also believe in conservation. I'm not just out there going crazy," Miller said at last season's Broncos' offseason program. "We followed the rules. I did everything I was supposed to do."<doc-sep>
Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller won’t face any charges for catching and posing with a bloody hammerhead shark one year ago, according to a March 2019 charging document from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. TMZ reported the news last month, but USA Today followed up today and named the boat that Miller was on: Spellbound. The owner and operator of Spellbound were not as lucky as the NFL player. From page five of the charging document: Owner and operator were charged under the Magnuson-Stevens Act for fishing for sharks without the proper permit and for failure to release a shark in the manner that will ensure maximum probability of survival. A $2,000 NOVA was issued. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission classifies hammerhead sharks as a Group 3 shark, which means harvesting them in state waters is punishable by second-degree misdemeanor. After posting photos with the bloody 9-foot shark, Miller defended himself and claimed the shark didn’t die. “I went fishing,” he said. “Everybody knows that I hunt and fish. It’s what I do. But I also believe in conservation. I’m not just out there going crazy. We followed the rules. I did everything I was supposed to do.” It’s a good thing Miller didn’t pose with a bunch of illicit sablefish, which I’ve learned are tightly regulated by the NOAA. The owner of a boat named “Tribute” was fined $91,472 for “intentionally making false prior notice of landing reports and signing false landing receipts to conceal IFQ sablefish violations.” That’s some pricey cod.