Former shark research nonprofit treasurer sent to prison in $450K fraud

The former treasurer of a Bradenton nonprofit dedicated to shark and stingray research has been sentenced to three years in jail after pleading no contest in a fraud case worth more than $450,000. 

Christine Bedore, who was treasurer of the American Elasmobranch Society, pleaded no contest to felony charges of scheme to defraud ($50,000 or more) and fraudulent use of personal identification information, according to a statement from the Bradenton Police Department. (No contest is when the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, but accepts a sentence as if he or she were pleading guilty.) 

In addition to the three years in state prison, Bedore, 45, was ordered to pay $452,953 in restitution to AES; she paid $20,000 of the total to the organization in court, BPD says. Bedore was also sentenced to 27 years of probation following her 36-month prison sentence. 

BPD detective Michael Carpenter began investigating Bedore in November 2023, after the president of AES discovered Bedore had fraudulently used the nonprofit's finances for over five years, beginning in 2018. AES, which has a Bradenton P.O. Box as its central address, bills itself as the world's oldest and largest society devoted to the scientific study of sharks and their relatives.

Financial subpoenas indicated Bedore used the AES checking and savings accounts for personal shopping and expenses, including medical procedures, a vehicle, subscription services, utilities, pet insurance, travel, entertainment and more, officials say. Bedore, authorities contend, also purchased laboratory specimens and equipment for her research at Georgia Southern University, where she was a biology professor and researcher. Bedore has also been featured on National Geographic channel’s "SharkFest” TV show. She was arrested in February 2024.

Several members of AES, including student researchers, were present for Bedore's hearing, according to the BPD statement. 

“The American Elasmobranch Society is satisfied to have reached a conclusion in this case and to begin to put this financially damaging and emotionally/psychologically painful event behind us,” the organization says in the statement. “This will allow us to focus on our efforts to rebuild AES finances and restore the trust and confidence of our community of dedicated shark and ray scientists, especially our young student members who were particularly wronged by the defendant's actions. We are hopeful that this judgment represents the start of a good-faith effort by the defendant to accept responsibility and show remorse for her actions and work towards rebuilding her life. We thank the staff of the Bradenton Police Department, the Office of the State Attorney, 12th Judicial Circuit and all other law enforcement agencies and other individuals who contributed to the resolution of this case."