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Nearly a month removed from the most headline-worthy fishing news story of 2022, walleye anglers Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominsky are facing a serious of charges for their alleged involvement in a tournament cheating scandal.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office notes that the duo has been charged with the following:
- One count of cheating (a felony of the fifth degree)
- One count of possessing criminal tools (a felony of the fifth degree)
- One count of attempted grand theft (felony of the fifth degree)
- One count of unlawful ownership of wild animals (misdemeanor of the fourth degree)
Had the duo won the Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament on September 30, they would have secured a victor’s prize of nearly $29,000. Their subsequent disqualification – a result of tournament director Jason Fischer extracting ten weights (eight weighing 12 ounces and two weighing eight ounces) from the pair’s submitted fish – negated any potential prizes.
Upon their initial meeting with a judge, bond was set at $2,500.
Their next court date is set for November 9. Fox 8 (Cleveland) reports that Runyan and Cominsky could face up to three years in prison if convicted.
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