Fishermen plead guilty to charges in tournament cheating scandal

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The two anglers at the center of a cheating scandal that rocked the world of competitive fishing last fall pleaded guilty to charges in the case on Monday.

Jacob Runyan, of Broadview Heights, Ohio, and Chase Cominsky, of Heritage, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to cheating and unlawful ownership of wild animals as part of a plea deal. Both men agreed to three-year suspensions of their fishing licenses, and Cominsky agreed to give up his bass boat worth $100,000.

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Jacob Runyan, left, and Chase Cominsky, pleaded guilty to lesser charges in a high-profile cheating scandal that rocked a Lake Erie fishing tournament. (AP Photo/Mark Gillispie)

Prosecutors agreed to drop attempted grand theft and possessing criminal tools charges. Runyan and Cominsky will be sentenced on May 11. Prosecutors are set to recommend a sentence of six months’ probation and later ask for an expungement of their convictions if they complete their probation, assistant Cuyahoga County prosecutor James Gallagher said.

The crux of the issue stemmed from an incident at the Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament back in September.

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Tournament director Jason Fischer became suspicious of illicit activity when Runyan and Cominsky turned in fish significantly heavier than the typical walleye.

A male walleye fish from Lake Pueblo State Park caught during the annual Colorado Parks and Wildlife walleye spawn operation. March 22, 2018. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Fischer had a crowd around him as he cut into the