“Give a man a fish stuffed with lead weights, and he’ll chip a tooth. Teach a man to stuff fish with lead weights, and somebody’s gettin’ hauled off to jail.” – Chinese Proverb
Two men convicted of cheating during a 2022 Lake Erie fishing competition have been sentenced to spend the next 10 days with their bodies stuffed with lead weights.
Jacob Runyan, 43, and Chase Cominsky, 36, pleaded guilty to multiple charges linked to them inserting oval-shaped weights into walleye in order to make them heavier and, thus, helping them win the tournament.
Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Steven Gall explained his justification for what he called a fair sentence. “Putting aside for a moment your fraudulent scheme and shameless pursuit of glory, what you did to those poor fish was just unspeakable,” he said. “How do you think they felt, having their bodies violated like that? Well, you’re about to find out.”
At this, the defendants’ attorney clarified that the fish were already dead at the time they were stuffed with the weights. Therefore, they did not feel their bodies being “violated.”
“Are you implying my sentence doesn’t go far enough?” the judge asked.
“No, Your Honor,” the attorney said, returning to his seat.
The men will be required to keep the weights in their bodies for the next 10 days. Should one of the weights fall out for any reason, they could face additional penalties, such as having their cheeks pierced with sharp, metal hooks.
Following sentencing, the men were led into a holding area adjacent the courtroom. There waiting was a nurse wearing latex gloves slathered in surgical jelly. Media were not invited into the room, but judging only by sounds, the nurse did an excellent job of keeping the men comfortable, even to the point of enjoyment.
Whether that comfortable feeling can be sustained for the next 10 days, however, is another question.
Video credits: (1) David - M - Creations, September 30, 2022; (2) CNN, October 4, 2022; (3) News 5 Cleveland, May 12, 2023; (4) News 5 Cleveland, May 11, 2023
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