$130K fishing boat forfeited by local walleye tournament cheaters up for auction

SANDUSKY, Ohio (WJW) – A fishing boat valued at $130,000 and linked to a local criminal case that made national headlines is up for auction.

In May 2023, Jacob Runyan, 43, of Ashtabula, and Chase Cominsky, 36, of Hermitage, PA were sentenced to jail after pleading guilty to cheating in a walleye fishing tournament on Lake Erie.

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As part of their penalty, they had to forfeit the boat they used in the tournament to the Ohio Division of Wildlife. The 2022 boat is now posted as part of a government online auction.

According to the post, the boat comes with motors and a trailer. It is located in Sandusky and available for viewing.

The starting bid placed on the boat was $25,000. As of Friday, June 28, bidding had climbed to $80,000.

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It was in 2022, Runyan and Cominsky were found to have used weights to make their catches appear heavier.

Runyan and Cominsky were frontrunners in a tournament, up for “team of the year,” and stood to win more than $28,000 from various prize pools.

Bidding on the boat ends July 23, 2024. CLICK HERE to place a bid and learn more.

You can read more on the case, here.

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