A Hermitage man convicted of cheating in a fishing tournament is free and clear of deer poaching charges in Mercer County.

According to Mercer County Court records, the 36-year-old had eight charges, including taking the big game out of season, failure to attach a tag to the big game, and lending a kill tag Nolle Prossed - which means they will not prosecute.

The decision to drop the charges was made on January 11.

The charges were filed against Cominsky last year and alleged he harvested several white-tailed deer out of season and without a valid license between 2013 and 2021.

According to a criminal complaint, Cominsky’s hunting license had been suspended from 2008 through 2021 for multiple game law violations.

Cominsky made news headlines and became a target on social media a year ago after he and an Ohio man angered fellow anglers after a video circulated showing officials of a Lake Erie fishing tournament discovering that the two had put lead weights in their catch, hoping to win some lucrative prizes.

Both were sentenced to ten days in jail, fined, and had their fishing licenses suspended.

RELATED:

Hermitage fisherman who cheated in tournament, headed to trial for alleged deer poaching