Two pro fishermen pleaded guilty this week to felony charges stemming from an Ohio fishing tournament last year where they were allegedly caught stuffing their fish with lead weights to win.
Jacob Runyan and teammate Chase Cominsky were set to win $28,760 until an official at the tournament became suspicious and the fish were cut open.
The two men pleaded guilty to a felony charge of cheating and a misdemeanor for unlawful ownership of wild animals, the Associated Press reported.
“This plea is the first step in teaching these crooks two basic life lessons,” said prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley. “Thou shall not steal, and crime does not pay.”
The two men are scheduled to be sentenced on May 11 after pleading guilty and could each receive up to one year in prison and $2,500 in fines. Both men also pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree misdemeanor of unlawful ownership of wild animals, which can carry a one-month jail sentence and a fine of up to $250.
As part of the agreement, the two men forfeited their fishing licenses for three years and Cominsky’s boat was seized by law enforcement.
Video from the alleged cheating incident back in September showed someone cutting open the fish and pulling out lead weights and even the filets of another fish that the men had allegedly stuffed down the throats of their catches to make them heavier.
Multiple people can be heard urging someone to “call the cops” and file a police report over the alleged cheating scandal.
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“You got thousands of f***ing dollars you stole from everyone!” someone accuses.
The two fishermen have been accused of cheating in the past, according to The Toledo Blade.
Winners of the tournament receive cash prizes of up to $100,000 and are determined by the weight of their five largest catches, according to the Lake Erie Walleye Trail Championship (LEWT) website. Another prize goes to the largest single walleye caught. The official Facebook page for the event said the latest incident proved there was cheating during the competition.
“Disgusted guys and gals, I’m sorry for letting you down for so long and I’m glad I caught cheating taking place in YOUR LEWT at the same time,” Tournament Director and police officer Jason Fischer said, adding, “I hope you know now that when I say ‘you built this LEWT and I will defend its integrity at all costs,’ I mean it. You all deserve the best.”
Zach Jewell contributed to this report.