CLEVELAND — The boat seized following a Cleveland fishing tournament scandal has been sold at auction.
According to GovDeals, the $130K bass boat sold for $82,000 after 44 bids following its initial listing at $25,000. After taxes and a 10 percent buyer's premium, the total price of the boat will come out to $96,288.50.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife, the agency that seized the boat, says it will use the funds to purchase "a new Lake Erie law enforcement patrol vessel for Ohio Wildlife Officers."
The 22-foot bass boat was originally seized after Chase Cominsky and Jacob Runyan were sentenced to jail for cheating in a 2022 Cleveland fishing tournament. Last March, the two men pled guilty to cheating and unlawful ownership of wild animal charges, with prosecutors agreeing to dismiss the other charges as part of the deal.
Runyan and Cominsky were both ordered to spend 10 days in jail and were placed on probation for one and a half years with their fishing licenses suspended for a maximum term of three years. Additionally a judge imposed a $2,500 fine, but cut that amount in half provided both make a charitable donation to an organization that focuses on fishing and children.
The entire situation dates back to October 2022, when Runyan and Cominsky competed in the Lake Erie Walleye Trail Tournament near North Marginal Road and Lakeshore Blvd. While the pair were initially declared the winners, it was later found that they had cheated by inserting weights into walleye.
The entire situation was caught on video and spread across social media in the ensuing days.
A grand jury in Cuyahoga County initially indicted Runyan and Cominsky for the following charges before their ultimate plea deal.
- 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)