....think things like this never happen-THINK AGAIN

[Rizzo]

I don't think its ridiculous. Sounds like stealing to me. Guess white collar crime isn't deserving of jail time either?

[blaque]

let me reword that.......that amount of jailtime, is a little much. I agree, community service, something positive after a short jaunt in the pokey.

[darsky]

how about the guy who won first place-he must feel good about winning the right way.

[Roy]

Nah...he just feels good about not having been caught. :-)

[Guest gbfisher]

You'd be suprised how many celebrities have been CAUGHT CHEATING and are still in the tournaments.

 

[shawnf]

Wow... people never cease to amaze me....

 

First off, I think we can all agree that cheating in a tourny is just lame. Come on, you have the right to go out into gods country and do something that you LOVE doing, but then throw it all away for something as common as money. Stupid.

 

I was wondering tho - This jail time that he might serve, is this the punishment for having these fish on stringers or is this punishment for cheating at a tourny?

 

I know some communities take their fishing to the extreme, but I sort of disagree with any kind of legal punishment for cheating. I'm sure some will disagree with me, but lets face it... A tourny is a business operation and cheating in a fishing tournament doesn't necessarily infringe on peoples rights, safety, or well being.

 

Thoughts??

[danbo]

Let he who hath not sinned..cast the first lure!

[misfish]

business operation

 

To me it,s FRAUD,like you said,it,s a business operation,which means penalty by law, jail time or what ever, is what he will recieve.

 

Im sure it,s in the back of some anglers minds if someone is cheating. Hard to cover the whole area and know whats going on.The sport is what it is called,a sport.Saddly there are poor sports out there.

Edited May 4, 2007 by misfish

[shawnf]

To me it,s FRAUD,like you said,it,s a business operation,which means penalty by law, jail time or what ever, is what he will recieve.

 

Fraud.... You hit the nail on the head there. I'm just saying that technically, the business owner/operator is still going to pay out the same amount of money no matter who happens to win. So the only people that REALLY get cheated are the other contestants, which of course, know that there is no guarantee that they will win anyways... just like gambling.

 

Now, if the rules of the tourny were set up so that you had to have at least a certain amount of fish (in pounds or whatever) to win money, and the business people would only pay those who come up with that weight and more, AND everyone that met that weight requirement would get paid, then yes.... that would in fact be a direct fraudulent act. The person would be cheating the business owner out of cash.

 

I definitely don't condone in what this guy did, just seeing if people here would look at it from another angle.

[bigbuck]

This joker should get the maximum fine + a whole whack of community service (cleaning sewers sounds right). I agree with Pigeon regarding the generalizations in society today wholeheartedly.

[lew]

Well, the way I look at it, forget about the fishing aspect of this thing and treat the guy just as he should be...a THIEF and nothing less.

 

What he did was no less than some punk sneaking into your home and stealing money from you. He knew what he was doing and his whole intent was to rip off the guys who were trying to win the money fair & square.

 

Throw his azz in jail and toss the key just like they should do with any other thief.

 

Oh yeah, and ban him permanentely from ever fishing with honest folks again too.

Edited May 4, 2007 by lew

[Tarzan's Jane]

Having worked in the criminal justice system....no jail time is ever given to first time offenders on a summary conviction (theft under $1,000)...the system has been moving more towards community service and away from incarceration.

 

I agree that he should do some type of restitution/community service...but jail time....not at all.

[misfish]

Having worked in the criminal justice system....no jail time is ever given to first time offenders on a summary conviction (theft under $1,000)...the system has been moving more towards community service and away from incarceration.

 

I agree that he should do some type of restitution/community service...but jail time....not at all.

 

Well I still feel it is FRAUD,I know too well that first timers get away with what ever they do,sorta.

SHAME AND EXPOSURE OF THIER NAMES I guess it,s enough to SHAME thier name.

The guy that cheats will be rememebered more then the guy that won.

 

Story,remember that tourney that Bob won in 2007...................................Nope ..................remember that guy that got cheating,what a goof.......................

[charlesn]

I think the reason they waited until he accepted the prizes was that no crime had been committed until then that was worthy of legal prosecution.

 

As much as I'd love to see him receive vigilante justice, I guess in the eyes of the law it was just $800. To me it's more than the money because it gives yet another black eye to tournament anglers. It's a big part of the reason I believe that Pro/Am tournaments are the way to go. Awful lot harder fetch fish from a cage with a stranger in the boat, especially when that stranger is randomly drawn and could be a RCMP officer, MNR employee or whatever.

 

Charles

[Mark Kulik]

I agree with Charles, guys who cheat in tournaments should be treated like any other thief, I think of the hard work and dedication it takes to succeed in competitive fishing, anyone who cheats is slapping every honest angler in the face!

[daisy_girl58]

In Missouri....I know what they would do to him....He is fortunate to be caught up here!

 

Lorissa

[bbog]

This guy got caugh cheating in a fishing tournament - SO WHAT - Right? He only got CAUGHT cheating in a fishing tournament - but what else has his reduced moral fibre allowed him to do and get away with?

 

We often take a sympathetic view of first timers - but should this be first time cheater or long time cheater, first time caught?? Something to think about when trying to determine the appropriate punishment.

[lunkerbasshunter]

7 years for 800 hundred bucks...........BURN haha hope he gets full term!

[Tarzan's Jane]

Okay....I think I am understanding the honour in fishing...if indeed this person (I was going to say gentleman, but thought better of it) has done this before...either with fishing or just in everyday life...is 7 years enough? - or should we go back to the dark ages and just waste him.

 

Don't mean to get off topic but our justice system puts more value on $$$ than human life. If this person or any other person (including females), abuses a child in the worse way...I think you know what I mean...the justice system does not have a penalty as strick - these very sick people are out again in no time re-offending. The scales of justice do tip.

 

I know...I said it was off topic...ya, he cheated - no honour in that, and no life long damage done to anyone either.