Two men who pleaded guilty to cheating in a Lake Erie fishing tournament last fall were sentenced Thursday to 10 days in jail and 1 1/2 years of probation, according to WKBN.
Jacob Runyan, 43, and Chase Cominsky, 36, were also ordered to pay a $2,500 fine. The two could pay half that amount if they donate the fines to a fishing charity for children, the judge ruled.
Runyan and Cominsky entered guilty pleas in March to felony charges of cheating and a misdemeanor count of illegal animal ownership after they were found to have stuffed lead weights into the fish they presented at weigh-in to make their catches appear heavier, according to USA Today.
Runyan and Cominsky competed in the Lake Erie Walleye Trail Tournament in Cleveland on Sept. 30, 2022. The team that caught the five heaviest walleye would win the grand prize.
The cheating allegations came to light when Jason Fischer, Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament director, became suspicious of the fish turned in by the two. The fish were significantly heavier than typical walleye. When they cut open the fish, 10 lead weights fell out.
Felony charges of attempted grand theft and possessing criminal tools were dropped after the plea.
In addition, the men had their fishing licenses suspended for a maximum of three years and had to forfeit the boat they used in the tournament, which was valued at $130,000.
