CLEVELAND — Two men are now facing criminal charges following their roles in the Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament scandal that happened in Cleveland last month.
On Wednesday, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley announced that 42-year-old Jacob Runyan, 42 and 35-year-old Chase Cominsky have been indicted on the following charges after allegedly placing weights and fish filets inside their catch:
- One count of Cheating (felony of the fifth degree)
- One count of Attempted Grand Theft (felony of the fifth degree)
- One count of Possessing Criminal Tools (felony of the fifth degree)
- One count of Unlawful Ownership of Wild Animals (misdemeanor of the fourth degree)
“I take all crime very seriously, and I believe what these two individuals attempted to do was not only dishonorable but also criminal”, O’Malley said in a statement. “I would like to formally thank the officers with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Hermitage Pennsylvania Police Department, the Mercer County District Attorney’s Office, and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission for their quick actions and their execution of a search warrant resulting in the seizure of criminal tools, including Defendant Cominsky’s boat and trailer.”
The indictments come nearly two weeks after weights and fillets were allegedly found inside the duo's tournament-winning catch. The controversy proceeded to receive national attention, with a video of the aftermath of the incident going viral on social media.
You can see that video in the tweet below.
The tournament took place near North Marginal Road and Lakeshore Boulevard in Cleveland on Sept. 30, attracting fishermen from several surrounding states who competed to see which team could catch five of the heaviest walleye fish in Lake Erie. Had Runyan and Cominsky won, they would have received a total prize of $28,760.
According to an investigation by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), the weights were discovered after the tournament director noticed that the fish weighed heavier than they looked and proceeded to slice the fish open. Ten weights -- eight weighing 12 ounces and two weighing eight ounces along with several walleye filets -- were allegedly discovered inside the walleye. The duo was immediately disqualified and instructed to leave the tournament, with the Cleveland Metroparks Police Department responding to the scene.
According to a release from the prosecutor's office, Runyan and Cominsky's fifth-degree felonies are punishable by up to 12 months in prison and up to $2,500 in fines, while misdemeanors of the fourth-degree are punishable by up to 30 days in jail and up to $250 in fines.