Christopher Stefanou, a New York-based angler and fishing influencer, has been banned from entering Massachusetts by a judge amid an ongoing court case.
The YouTuber, known as LISHARKMAN on social media, is facing charges for capturing a great white shark, a protected species, in Cape Cod in October 2025.
He recently appeared for arraignment on October 21, 2026, at Barnstable Superior Court, where his bail was set at $10,000.
Highlights
- Angler Christopher Stefanou faces multiple charges, including animal cruelty, after capturing a shark in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
- A judge banned him from entering the state and imposed other restrictions at a recent arraignment.
- If convicted, Stefanou could possibly face jail time.
He also heard his other restrictions as netizens chewed him out online for his actions.
“I have no respect for him at all,” one user said.
Christopher Stefanou faces multiple charges, including one of animal cruelty to a shark
In October last year, Stefanou allegedly took a European client onto the eastern shores of Cape Cod to capture a shark as part of a days-long trip.
Footage posted on his social media showed the men using a drone and other equipment to catch a 9.5-foot-long great white, locally known as “Aaron the Shark,” and dragging him onto the beach.
The group photographed themselves with the animal before releasing it, Cape & Islands District Attorney Robert J. Galibois said.
Stefanou’s actions led to a slew of charges, including animal cruelty to a shark, fishing for shark, mechanical deployment of bait, attempt to capture a shark, and possession of a protected species shark.
At his arraignment, the judge ordered Stefanou to delete his social media images and footage of himself posing alongside the shark.
He was also prohibited from entering Massachusetts and was required to surrender his fishing license while he faced charges.
The influencer is currently barred from uploading additional videos. The last full-length video posted on his YouTube channel is dated August 30, 2025.
Stefanou is next due to appear in court on December 11.
Stefanou maintains innocence as netizens debate over his actions
In a statement to the press, Stefanou’s attorney, Jon A. Ciraulo, said his client maintains his innocence.
“There can be no question that Chris respects the sport, actively participates in conservation practices, assists in marine tagging and research efforts, and volunteers his time to educate enthusiasts on safe and responsible angling,” the lawyer said.
“The charges against Chris are allegations only. He maintains his innocence and intends to fully challenge the allegations against him.”
Stefanou describes himself on his website as an “extremely passionate angler” specializing in land-based shark fishing on Long Island, New York, but often venturing to other East Coast states.
It also says that he books fishing charters for “anyone interested” in the experience.
Netizens have been divided over the case, with most arguing that while he appears to be an “extremely knowledgeable and conservationist-minded fisherman,” he still broke the law and should be held accountable.
“Throw the book at him, and next time he won't be so inclined to collect money from a European client to do illegal s**t because we all know this was for a larger sum of money than a fishing charter,” one angry user said.
Another said, “I think any fisherman who posts their catch or hunter their k*ll on social media is just asking for trouble.”
Stefanou could face prison time if convicted of the crimes
Massachusetts enforces strict federal and state regulations regarding great white sharks to protect both the species and public safety.
Federal and state laws make it illegal to intentionally attract, catch, target, or harvest a great white shark in most areas of the Massachusetts coastline.
Anglers cannot fish from shore around Cape Cod Bay and the Outer Cape using a baited hook with an inside gap exceeding 5/8 inch combined with a wire or metal leader longer than 18 inches.
Anyone using the above heavy hook-and-leader configuration while shore fishing outside the prohibited area cannot chum from sunrise to sunset.
They also cannot use drones, radio-controlled boats (RC boats), or other remote-controlled and compressed-propulsion devices to deploy bait from shore.
If convicted, Stefanou could possibly face jail time, as the animal-cruelty charge alone carries a potential seven-year prison sentence, according to Surfer.
After the incident, prosecutors initially feared that the shark had perished from capture stress. Its tracking tag has since been detected.
According to the White Shark Logbook, acoustic detection has detected Aaron the Shark over 5,000 times off the coast of Massachusetts.
"Content-creation is a double-edged sword," one user said
