釣り大会で不正、魚の重さごまかした参加者に禁錮１０日　米

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】米中西部オハイオ州の裁判所は１１日、釣り大会で魚の重さをごまかしたとして、参加者２人に禁錮１０日と罰金２５００ドル（約３４万円）を言い渡した。（写真は資料写真）
　ジェーコブ・ラニアン被告（４３）とチェース・コミンスキー被告（３６）は昨年９月、エリー湖で開催されたウォールアイ（北米産の淡水魚）釣り大会で、釣った魚の体内に鉛の重りを隠したとされる。
　両被告は、大会で使用した１３万ドル（約１８００万円）相当のボートも没収され、３年間のライセンス停止処分も受けた。
　米国ではプロによる釣り大会が人気で、賞金が数万ドルに上るものも多い。ウォールアイの重量を競うエリー湖の大会では、上位５匹に賞金が出され、優勝賞金は２万８７６０ドル（約３９０万円）だった。
　両被告が釣った魚を計量すると、見た目より重かったために運営責任者が不審に思い、魚を切り開いたところ、体内から鉛の重り１０個が見つかった。
　２人は失格となり、警察が捜査に乗り出していた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/05/15-16:57）

The scales of justice have caught two anglers found cheating during a fishing tournament in the midwestern US state of Ohio.
Jacob Runyan, 43, and Chase Cominsky, 36, were sentenced to 10 days in jail on Thursday for hiding lead weights inside their catch.
Runyan and Cominsky were also fined $2,500 and ordered to forfeit the $130,000 boat they used during the Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament in September 2022.
Professional fishing tournaments are popular in the United States with tens of thousands of dollars often at stake.
Cash prizes for the Lake Erie tournament were awarded for the five heaviest walleye caught, with the winner eligible to take home $28,760.
When Runyan and Cominsky submitted their fish to be weighed the tournament director was suspicious since they appeared to weigh more than they looked.
Ten lead weights were found stuffed inside the fish when they were sliced open.
The pair were disqualified and police opened an investigation.
Cuyahoga County prosecutor Michael O'Malley said he believed Runyan and Cominsky had cheated previously.
I have no doubt that these two crooks cheated in multiple tournaments over the last several years, O'Malley said in a statement. These two should be banned from every fishing tournament for life.
The pair also had their fishing licenses suspended for the maximum of three years.