Fishermen face felony charges over a cheating scandal at an Ohio tournament

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

Tweet text:

NPR
·
Oct 14, 2022
@NPR
·
Follow
Two fishermen have been indicted on felony charges after officials said they cheated their way into winning a $30,000 pro fishing tournament by stuffing their catch with lead weights and fish fillets.
ttps://n.pr/3ShelGF

NPR
@NPR
·
Follow

npr.org
Fishermen face felony charges over a cheating scandal at an Ohio tournament
A grand jury indicted the fishing team on charges of cheating, attempted grand theft and possessing criminal tools. They had stood to win nearly $30,000.
2:32 PM · Oct 14, 2022

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/14/1129018076/fishing-tournament-cheating-felony-charges-runyan-cominsky-lake-erie-walleye

Hoping to win a pro fishing tournament with nearly $30,000 on the line, Jake Runyan and Chase Cominsky illegally stacked the deck in their favor, according to officials in Ohio — and now the pair have been indicted on three felony charges each.

A grand jury has indicted Runyan and Cominsky on charges of cheating, attempted grand theft and possessing criminal tools, according to the Cuyahoga County prosecutor's office. The charges are fifth-degree felonies, meaning they could each bring a punishment of up to 12 months in prison and $2,500 in fines.

"I take all crime very seriously, and I believe what these two individuals attempted to do was not only dishonorable but also criminal," Prosecutor Michael C. O'Malley said in a statement.

The anglers also face a misdemeanor count of unlawful ownership of wild animals — a charge related to raw fish filets they allegedly had on their boat. If they're convicted of that crime, their fishing licenses could be suspended indefinitely.

*snip*