On Sept. 30, two fishermen, Jacob Runyan, 42, of Ashtabula, Ohio, and Chase Cominsky, 35, of Hermitage, Pa., participated in the Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament in Cleveland. The stakes were high. If the fish landed by the pair weighed more than their competition, they would win almost $30,000. The pair were considered serious contenders for the prize. They had come in first place at the three previous Lake Erie Walleye Trail events in June, July, and September.

When their walleye were weighed, however, they seemed unduly heavy for their size. On cutting the fish open, tournament officials found ten weights, each one weighing either 8 or 12 ounces, as well as several walleye fillets stuffed inside each fish. The New York Times reports that a grand jury indicted both men on Wednesday on felony charges of cheating and attempted grand theft. 

Runyan and Cominsky, 35 also face one count each of possessing criminal tools, a felony, and of unlawful ownership of wild animals, a misdemeanor.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley said in a statement that the men’s actions were “not only dishonorable but also criminal.” Runyan and Cominsky could not be reached for comment on Wednesday, and it was unclear who their legal representation was or if they had any.

If convicted, Mr. Runyan and Mr. Cominsky could face up to a year in prison and up to $2,500 in fines for three of the felony charges. A conviction on the fourth charge of unlawful ownership of wild animals, a misdemeanor, could trigger an “indefinite suspension of their fishing licenses,” the prosecutor’s office said, adding that this charge stemmed from the walleye fish fillets that were aboard on the day of the tournament.

‘We’ve got weights in fish!’: See the moment cheaters are caught during fishing tournament