Alleged Ohio Fishing Tournament Cheaters Plead Not Guilty

The two beleaguered anglers face felony charges of cheating, attempted grand theft, and possessing criminal tools.

After a tournament judge discovered lead weights inside their winning fish, two men accused of cheating pled not guilty in an Ohio courtroom this week, Cleveland’s WOIO reported.

A grand jury indicted Jacob Runyan, 42, and Chase Cominsky, 35, on multiple felony charges for the incident. They also each face a misdemeanor charge of unlawful ownership of wild animals.

Nearly $30,000 was on the line at an Ohio tournament when Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominsky allegedly packed weights into their fish. They pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.
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The pair’s near-win at the Lake Erie Walleye Championships went viral online. In the video, an official slices open their winning fish to discover weights and filets stuffed inside.

Tournament organizers…