Fishermen plead guilty in cheating scandal

CLEVELAND — Two men charged with cheating in a fishing tournament last year, including one Mercer County resident, pleaded guilty in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.

Chase Cominsky, 36, of Hermitage, and Jacob Runyan, 43, of Ashtabula, Ohio, each pleaded guilty to one charge of cheating, a fifth-degree felony, and unlawful ownership of wild animals, a fourth-degree misdemeanor, according to a press release from the court system.

The pair’s charges stem from an incident on Sept. 30, 2022, at the big-stakes Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament in Cleveland. The tournament hosted fishermen from several surrounding states that competed to see which team could catch five of the heaviest walleye in Lake Erie.

During the tournament, Director Jason Fischer determined the pair’s walleyes seemed too heavy for the size of the fish. Fischer sliced open the fish and discovered eight 12-ounce weights and two eight-ounce weights inside the walleyes, along with several walleye fillets packed in to keep the weights in place.

The pair were immediately disqualified and told to leave the tournament. Had they won, the pair would have received a total prize of $28,760.

The Cleveland Metroparks Police responded to the scene. The investigation was conducted by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the press release states.

“This plea is the first step in teaching these crooks two basic life lessons,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley said in the release. “Thou shall not steal, and crime does not pay.”

Cominsky and Runyan were also charged with attempted grand theft and possessing criminal tools, although these charges were not prosecuted. The boat used during the tournament was forfeited.

The boat and its trailer were seized by ODNR from Cominsky’s Hermitage residence as part of the investigation last October.

Following their guilty plea Monday, Cominsky and Runyan will be sentenced on May 11 in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.