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Craig Provost is accused of breaking derby rules by entering a friend’s fish for $13,500 in prize money.
The fisherman denied a felony charge of false pretenses, after police accused him of tricking a non-profit tournament into paying him prize money he didn't earn.
Provost, 44, of Plattsburgh, New York, participated in the Lake Champlain International (LCI) Father's Day fishing tournament in June 2015, and reported a record-smashing 10.26-pound walleye. He collected more than $13,500 in prize money. |
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However, police in Colchester, Vermont, where LCI is based, now call that trophy a fish fraud. They say Provost broke tournament rules because he didn't even catch the fish, adding that a buddy actually landed it.
In court paperwork, the investigating officer, the appropriately-named Det. Sgt. Michael Fish, wrote that Provost's friend was not eligible for the tourney's top bonus payouts, which require add-ons to entry fees.
Provost was eligible for those bonus prizes, Sgt. Fish noted. The officer stated in an affidavit that Provost pressured two others on the boat into lying about who landed the walleye, to cash in and split the pot.
Police said when the money was split, Provost took a larger share, supposedly to cover the payment of income taxes. |
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