You may recall a cheating scandal in a Cleveland fishing competition that involved two men including one from the Shenango Valley. Now, the boat seized from that scandal has a new home.

According to a press release from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), the fishing boat used by 37-year-old Chase Cominsky of Hermitage (pictured below) in the 2022 cheating scandal was auctioned off on Tuesday.

Chase Cominsky
Chase Cominsky  

The winning bid was $82,000 with a final price of $96,288.50 after taxes and fees. The boat was sold with its motor and trailer.

ODNR's Division of Wildlife will use the proceeds from the auction to purchase a new Lake Erie law enforcement patrol vessel for Ohio Wildlife Officers.

The cheating scandal took place back in the fall of 2022 when Cominsky along with Jacob Runyan of Ashtabula were caught cheating in the Lake Erie Walleye Tournament in Cleveland.

The two had placed lead weights in a fish to make a seemingly four-pound Walleye weigh eight pounds. Both men were disqualified from the tournament and were ejected from the park.

Both men were convicted of cheating and unlawful ownership of wild animals in March of 2023. They were sentenced to pay a $2,500 fine with half of that being waived if they agreed to make a charitable donation to an organization focused on children and fishing.