Cheating Fisherman gets short jail sentence

April 15, 2010

Apr 14, 2010 11:45 am US/Central

Garland Man Pleads Guilty To Bass Tourney

CheatingROCKWALL (CBS 11 / TXA 21)

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Admitted fish cheater, Garland resident Robby Rose.

Rockwall Co. Sheriff's Office It's a 'heavyweight' fish tale, of sorts! A Garland man pled guilty

to attempted theft after trying to pass his bass off as a winner.

Last fall, Robby Rose stuffed a lead weight into a bass during a fishing

tournament and this week he learned his punishment.

An investigation by a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game warden

concluded Rose stuffed his fish during the 2009 Bud Light Trail Boss Big

Bass Tournament on Lake Ray Hubbard last October 24.

Rose, a competitive bass fisherman, was competing for a $55,000 bass boat

tournament grand prize. The boat would be awarded to the angler who

caught the biggest fish by weight.

After Rose turned in the fish and went to the polygraph area, officials

noticed the bass had nearly sunk to the bottom of the tank. The fish was

examined and a lump was found in its belly.

Officials found Rose and told him they intended to cut the bass open. It

was then that Rose massaged the fish and removed a one-pound lead weight

from it.

Rockwall County District Attorney Kenda Culpepper says the case was taken

very seriously. " As far as we were concerned, the case was about a

$55,000 bass boat, not a 10-pound fish. "

On Tuesday Rose pled guilty to attempted theft over $20,000 but less than

$100,000. He was sentenced to five years probation, 15 days in jail and

loss of his fishing license for five years.

The lead prosecutor in the case, Alex Imgrund, said plainly,

" Cheating is cheating. "

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