Fishing cheater sentenced in counterfeiting case

Dec. 14—MERCER — A Hermitage man involved in a fishing scandal in a Cleveland tournament will spend time in Mercer County Jail after admitting to being involved in passing fake bills at a Hermitage bowling alley.

Chase Elliott Cominsky, 36, of North Keel Ridge Road, was sentenced Thursday to 6 to 12 months in Mercer County Jail followed by 4 years probation for pleading no contest to a charge of theft by deception.

When Court of Common Pleas President Judge Daniel P. Wallace asked Cominsky if he had anything to say before sentencing, Cominsky apologized.

"I had a lot going on this year," Cominsky said. "I'm sorry for my actions. Having a dad behind bars, I don't want that for my kids."

Cominsky has two minor children and an older son, Kaden Cominsky, who is serving a year probation in the same case.

Employees at Ten Pin Alley, 3825 E. State St., said fake $100 bills were passed.

Video surveillance from Jan. 20 shows a $100 bill with "For Motion Picture Purposes Only," "Not Legal Tender," and several other writings on it indicating that the bill was fictitious, being passed by Kayden for $56 worth of services. Kayden was given $44 in change.

Such fake currency is produced legally for use as props and commonly known as "movie money." The images vary slightly from real bills, and markings and text identify it as fake.

In an interview with police, Kayden, who was a high school senior at the time, told police that he gave one of his friends $100 to pay for bowling and then paid with another $100 bill when his time ran out.

Kayden denied knowing the bills were fraudulent and said he received the bills a couple of weeks ago when he sold his PlayStation to someone in Akron, Ohio.

A witness told police that Kayden said the $100 bill was fake and that his dad gave it to him. Police also found text messages between father and son that discussed how "it worked" with the $100 bills.

Chase Cominsky was also charged in October with poaching deer. That case is pending in Common Pleas Court.

In March, Chase pleaded guilty to cheating and unlawful ownership of wild animals, stemming from an incident Sept. 30, 2022, when he and Jacob Runyan of Ashtabula, Ohio, were competing in Cleveland as part of the Lake Erie Walleye Trail professional fishing circuit.

In May, Chase was sentenced in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas to 10 days in jail followed by 1 1/2 years supervised release, suspension of his fishing license for three years and a fine of $2,500.

The tournament hosted fishermen from several surrounding states who were competing to see which team could catch five of the heaviest walleye fish in Lake Erie. A tournament official cut open the fish Cominsky and Runyan caught, finding weights and fish fillets. The pair were disqualified.

Follow Melissa Klaric on twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com