Two men charged in connection with cheating in Lake Erie fishing tournament

by Stephanie Warsaw, Ackron Beacon Journal, USA Today

Two men have been charged related to allegations of cheating in a Lake Erie walleye tournament, the Cuyahoga (Ohio) County prosecutor announced this afternoon.

Jacob Runyan, 42, and Chase Cominsky, 35, have been charged with cheating, attempted grand theft, possessing criminal tools and unlawful ownership of wild animals, prosecutors said.

“I take every crime seriously, and I believe what these two individuals attempted to do was not only dishonorable but criminal,” Prosecutor Michael O’Malley said in a press release.

A video posted to Twitter showed Jason Fischer, tournament director for the Lake Erie Walley Trail, cutting open the winning catch of five walleye and finding lead weights and prepared fish filets inside them. Runyan and Cominsky, the winning anglers, were immediately disqualified.

The prosecutor’s office opened an investigation after learning of the cheating allegations.

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