US Fishing Tournament Participant Sentenced to Prison for Cheating by Inserting Weights into Fish Bellies

Committed Crime Aiming for 37 Million Won Prize
Up to 1 Year Imprisonment and 3-Year Fishing License Suspension

Two participants who used cheating methods by placing lead weights inside fish bellies to win prize money at a fishing competition held in the United States have been sentenced to prison for fraud charges.

According to foreign media including the US CNN on the 29th (local time), Jacob Lunyan (43) and Chase Kominski (36), who were indicted last October on charges of fraud and illegal possession of wildlife, admitted to the charges in court on the 27th.

Jacob Lunian (43) and Chase Kominski (36) face the risk of imprisonment after cheating in a fishing competition.
Photo by Yonhap News

Lunyan and Kominski competed in the finals of a fishing competition held in a two-person team format last September at Lake Erie in Ohio, USA. The competition ranks teams based on the total weight of five caught fish, and the total weight of the five fish they submitted was 15 kg. This was the best result among all participating teams, and Lunyan and Kominski were set to receive a prize of $28,760 (approximately 37.39 million KRW).

However, their fraud was not missed by the competition supervisor Jason Fisher. The fish they caught, walleye (a perch-like fish characterized by cloudy eyes), usually weigh about 4 pounds (approximately 1.8 kg) each, but the fish caught by Lunyan’s team weighed 7 pounds (approximately 3.2 kg), which was excessively heavy.

Weights made of lead taken from inside a fish's stomach and fish flesh.
Photo by Yonhap News

When Fisher cut open the fish bellies, ten lead weights were found inside, along with several pieces of flesh from other fish. The scene of their criminal act being exposed was fully recorded on video and uploaded to social media.

CNN reported that since Lunyan and Kominski admitted to their charges, they are expected to be sentenced to at least six months to one year in prison. Kominski also relinquished ownership of a boat worth $100,000 (approximately 130 million KRW) that was used in the fishing competition. If found guilty, their fishing licenses will also be suspended for up to three years.

Michael O'Malley, the county prosecutor of Cayuga County, said regarding their admission of guilt, "This is the first step in teaching these fraudsters two basic life lessons," adding, "which are not to steal and that committing crimes results in more harm than benefit."

The sentencing for Lunyan and Kominski is scheduled for May 11.