A spokesperson in the office of Natchitoches Parish (La.) district attorney Van Kyzar said today that Missouri angler Paul Tormanen pleaded guilty on Jan. 25 to a charge of felony fishing contest fraud stemming from the Red River Bassmaster Central Open in November. BassFan had previously received erroneous information from the DA's office stating that Tormanen would not be arraigned on the charge until yesterday.
The arraignment was originally scheduled for Dec. 21 and was postponed twice.
According to the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) offense report, Tormanen admitted that he tied six fish to stumps prior to the start of the Nov. 10-12 tournament, then weighed them in during the first 2 days of the event. One of the tethered fish was discovered by a fellow competitor during practice and marked for identification by LDWF wardens. He was disqualified from the tournament and banned from BASS competition for life.
According to the spokesperson, Tormanen was sentenced to 2 years probation and ordered to pay fines and courts costs totaling $588.50. He also must pay $3,000 in restitution to BASS LLC and perform 120 hours of community service through an approved wildlife and fisheries organization. He's prohibited from enrolling in fishing tournaments for monetary gain during his probationary period.
