The two fisherman have pleaded not guilty today (October 26) after being accused of packing weights into fish at an Ohio tournament, according to NPR.
Jacob Runyan, from Cleveland, and Chase Cominsky, from Hermitage, Pennsylvania, were recently indicted after lead weights and fish fillets were found stuffed in the fish they submitted at the Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament in Cleveland, according to NPR. The discovery of a potential cheating scandal set off a national uproar.
Before the discovery, the two men had been poised to win the competition and team of the year honors, according to NPR. The total prize would have been $28,760. Now, the fishing team are defendants and have been arraigned on several fifth-degree felony charges, including cheating, attempted grand theft and possessing criminal tools. The charges could each bring a punishment of up to 12 months in prison and $2,500 in fines.
The pair also face a misdemeanor count of unlawful ownership of wild animals in relation to raw fish fillets they allegedly had on their boat, according to NPR. That charge comes with the possibility of their fishing licenses being revoked indefinitely.
Their bail was set at $2,500 each, which they posted, according to NPR.