Lead Contamination Great Lakes

[Travis907]

 

[Ryan2.0]

Or maybe not cheat?

Yeah that would’ve been another option. Lol

 

[Cowbell]

For what? Unless someone has hard proof that they cheated while winning the other money, the justice system doesn't charge on speculation. And no money was ever awarded to them during this tournament so what can they be charged with? Serious question, I'm not defending these trash humans. I just don't see charges anywhere here. They were essentially playing a game and got caught cheating; it's like corking a bat during a softball tournament as far as I'm concerned. People are calling for them to have their fishing licenses removed for life. Again, what's the game violation to justify that? Maybe there is something specific to their state.

You maybe should study up on this seriousness of cheating when there is money inovolved. They don't have to win any money. It's felony fraud. These boys are absolutely going to jail,

 

[thedude]

I wonder how up they are on their taxes with that prize money?

 

[Rokbar]

I would like to know what the angler(s) that came in 2nd when the cheaters won the boat and cash prizes are thinking now????

 

[william schmaltz]

You maybe should study up on this seriousness of cheating when there is money inovolved. They don't have to win any money. It's felony fraud. These boys are absolutely going to jail,

Easy, chief. I’m not a lawyer or a cheater so I’ll skip the reading. Maybe I wasn’t clear enough when I said “I’m not standing up for these trash humans,” so I guess I’ll say I hope you’re right to some extent.

I hope they have to pay back huge $$$ and get some letters added to their name. But I’d rather see tournament fishing (or hunting for that matter) go the way of the Dodo bird than tax payer resources getting dumped into these guys’ room and board. Other than the participants, the guys selling white Oakleys, and whoever is making them ridiculous XXL fishing jerseys; I don’t think anyone would mind too much if tournaments like this went away. Especially the people just trying to take their family fishing on their days off that are sick of dealing with these events.

These guys will lawyer up and I will honestly be surprised if anything comes out of this. That’s my opinion. And if this these guys are convicted and this thread is resurrected in a year and I’m proven dead wrong, cool. Like everyone, I’m wrong a lot. I’ll be kinda glad if I’m wrong on this one.

 

[ArcherAdam]

I suspect Ohio like other states have a criminal attempt and/or conspiracy statute that carries the same grading and penalties as if the crime was successful completed.

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[hh76]

I suspect their sponsors will be suing, too.

 

[MallardSX2]

They deserve to loose everything they have as they wouldn't have had any of it had they been honest fishermen.

I hope they are working at Wendy's by the end of the week.

 

[NB7]

Money and fraud aside, it's still sort of comical.
Like a lot of things that "surprise" us when they happen, we see something that we thought was a thing of the past, almost like an old wives tail, and think no way would it happen again.
Guys putting lead weight in fish to win a tournament? Surely that old trick was figured out decades ago and no one would even consider it nowadays? Thing of the past right?
Lol, yeah right. That's human nature for ya.

And like most criminals that keep edging closer to the line on what they can get away with, I betcha they used a little more weight than they had been doing to ensure this win. Who knows, maybe a few ounces less and they would have gotten away with it like the previous times.

 

[svivian]

For what? Unless someone has hard proof that they cheated while winning the other money, the justice system doesn't charge on speculation. And no money was ever awarded to them during this tournament so what can they be charged with? Serious question, I'm not defending these trash humans. I just don't see charges anywhere here. They were essentially playing a game and got caught cheating; it's like corking a bat during a softball tournament as far as I'm concerned. People are calling for them to have their fishing licenses removed for life. Again, what's the game violation to justify that? Maybe there is something specific to their state.

If I try and steal money from a bank and get caught before it reaches my hand am I free to go? Just because the money wasn’t exchanged doesn’t mean they did not attempt to in a fraudulent manner.

 

[MallardSX2]

They may not face criminal charges for this if they have good attorneys. But they will certainly be banned from contests going forward for sure and their sponsors will drop them like a bad habit.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

I think it's likely they ate the weights. I had a GSP that would alway hang out in the garage with me when I was working on something. For days after I would find, nut's, bolts and flat washers in his droppings.

 

[Monotone Matt]

If I scammed that much money I’d be more concerned about street justice.

 

[gabenzeke]

For what? Unless someone has hard proof that they cheated while winning the other money, the justice system doesn't charge on speculation. And no money was ever awarded to them during this tournament so what can they be charged with? Serious question, I'm not defending these trash humans. I just don't see charges anywhere here. They were essentially playing a game and got caught cheating; it's like corking a bat during a softball tournament as far as I'm concerned. People are calling for them to have their fishing licenses removed for life. Again, what's the game violation to justify that? Maybe there is something specific to their state.

Locally we had a couple guys cheat to win something like 5 grand in an ice fishing tournament. They got a year. But the difference may be they were awarded the money. They were caught before they cashed the check though.

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[HandgunHTR]

Chances are that they won’t face any criminal prosecution, but they will likely lose their asses in civil court. The civil courts have a much lower burden of proof, in my experience.

 

[BigE]

This is another example to support Matt's @Mattrinella conversation, "Fish quietly" too. Seems like anything with a monetary reward to it can and probably will encourage poor behavior.

 

[william schmaltz]

If I try and steal money from a bank and get caught before it reaches my hand am I free to go? Just because the money wasn’t exchanged doesn’t mean they did not attempt to in a fraudulent manner.

No sir. The law is very clear what is allowed in banks and how an attempted bank robber should be dealt with.

Here is the rule sheet for the LEWT. https://lakeeriewalleyetrail.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Rules-2022-LEWT.pdf There is nothing in there about stuffing fish with weight. If it's not in the rules, who's to say they were cheating? Maybe the other teams were just doing it wrong? Unwritten rules typically don't hold up in the courtroom. And at the end of the day, how do they prove these guys put the weights in the fish? The only time it says a team will be disqualified is if they receive a citation for a violation from law enforcement IN their boat on the DAY OF the tournament. With a half-assed lawyer, these guys will probably flip it around and sue the tournament for being DQd. To my understanding, the only other time these guys have even been close to being caught is when they failed a polygraph and weren't paid for that particular tournament. And they have a civil suit filed against the tourney for that one.

I personally feel like these guys were doing this to steal from people a long time. They're lying, cheating, crooks. I just try to look at everything from a 10,000 foot level and not a biased, emotional level; and that's how I've got to my opinion on what will happen to them. Time will tell, I'm just a big dumb hillbilly and my opinion is worth as much as you paid for it.

 

[svivian]

No sir. The law is very clear what is allowed in banks and how an attempted bank robber should be dealt with.

Here is the rule sheet for the LEWT. https://lakeeriewalleyetrail.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Rules-2022-LEWT.pdf There is nothing in there about stuffing fish with weight. If it's not in the rules, who's to say they were cheating? Maybe the other teams were just doing it wrong? Unwritten rules typically don't hold up in the courtroom. And at the end of the day, how do they prove these guys put the weights in the fish? The only time it says a team will be disqualified is if they receive a citation for a violation from law enforcement IN their boat on the DAY OF the tournament. With a half-assed lawyer, these guys will probably flip it around and sue the tournament for being DQd. To my understanding, the only other time these guys have even been close to being caught is when they failed a polygraph and weren't paid for that particular tournament. And they have a civil suit filed against the tourney for that one.

I personally feel like these guys were doing this to steal from people a long time. They're lying, cheating, crooks. I just try to look at everything from a 10,000 foot level and not a biased, emotional level; and that's how I've got to my opinion on what will happen to them. Time will tell, I'm just a big dumb hillbilly and my opinion is worth as much as you paid for it.

While I agree with you to a point.... read your banking agreement and see where it says you are not allowed to steal from the bank.

also see below for felony charges(i know different state) point is im sure there is a law somewhere just like you cant rob a bank you cant cheat a tournament for money. Just because the rule book doesnt spell it out....

Utah fishermen plead guilty to felonies for cheating during tournament

The scales of justice reeled in a couple of Utah men who were angling to win a bass fishing competition – but ended up pleading gill-ty to felonies for cheating, according to reports. Robert Dennet…

nypost.com

 

[Monotone Matt]

No sir. The law is very clear what is allowed in banks and how an attempted bank robber should be dealt with.

Here is the rule sheet for the LEWT. https://lakeeriewalleyetrail.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Rules-2022-LEWT.pdf There is nothing in there about stuffing fish with weight. If it's not in the rules, who's to say they were cheating? Maybe the other teams were just doing it wrong? Unwritten rules typically don't hold up in the courtroom. And at the end of the day, how do they prove these guys put the weights in the fish? The only time it says a team will be disqualified is if they receive a citation for a violation from law enforcement IN their boat on the DAY OF the tournament. With a half-assed lawyer, these guys will probably flip it around and sue the tournament for being DQd. To my understanding, the only other time these guys have even been close to being caught is when they failed a polygraph and weren't paid for that particular tournament. And they have a civil suit filed against the tourney for that one.

I personally feel like these guys were doing this to steal from people a long time. They're lying, cheating, crooks. I just try to look at everything from a 10,000 foot level and not a biased, emotional level; and that's how I've got to my opinion on what will happen to them. Time will tell, I'm just a big dumb hillbilly and my opinion is worth as much as you paid for it.

From the link you posted:

“Any unsportsmanlike behavior will lead to penalties and possible disqualification from any and all LEWT tournaments. Any team receiving a citation for a violation in their boat from any law enforcement agency on the day of the tournament will be disqualified for that tournament.”

“Teams must weigh their fish in as soon as possible after arriving past the check in point. Any delay in doing so will result in a half weight penalty being assessed for the total weight, and Big Fish weight.”

In a felony case they have to be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. How is a four pound fish going to be living with a 3 pound lead weight in its stomach? How did the walleye fillets get there? Who else would have put that stuff there if they proceeded straight to weigh in? I don’t think they stand a chance in court.