According to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, two men have been charged with cheating in a Lake Powell fishing tournament.
From the release:
Robert Dennett, 45, of Washington City, and Kamron Wootton, 35, also of Washington City, were charged in Kane County’s 6th District Court with bribery or threat to influence a contest, a third-degree felony; unlawful release of wildlife, a class A misdemeanor; and unlawful captivity of protected wildlife, a class B misdemeanor.
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources conservation officers received a report of the illegal activity on Oct. 21, 2018, through the UTIP hotline. Organizers of a two-day Lake Powell largemouth bass fishing tournament noticed that some fish turned in by Dennett and Wootton looked much different from the other bass being turned in during the tournament.
“Some of the largemouth bass they’d turned in had little heads and fatter bodies, indicating a different diet than the fish at Lake Powell, which were more lean,” DWR Lt. Paul Washburn said. “The fish also had red fins, which indicated they had undergone some stress.”
During the investigation, conservation officers also learned that the men had taken first, second or third place at eight other bass fishing tournaments earlier that year.
The two men have an initial court appearance scheduled for June 4.