A pair of Utah men have been convicted of felony charges stemming from attempts to cheat in a bass fishing tournament.
Robert Dennett, 45, and Kamron Wootton, 35, pleaded guilty last month to felony bribery or threat to influence a contest and misdemeanor unlawful release of wildlife and unlawful captivity of protected wildlife, KTVX-TV reports.
Conservation officers received a report of illegal activity in October 2018 through a tip line.
Charging documents said Dennett and Wootton took several bass from the Quail Lake Reservoir in southwest Utah without authorization or permits and transported the fish about 180 miles east to Lake Powell.
The men then submitted the fish to a Lake Powell largemouth bass fishing tournament.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said competition organizers noticed some fish submitted for judging by the men looked much different from other bass caught during the tournament.
The men were each ordered to serve two years of probation and 48 hours of community service and pay a $2,500 fine.
The charges will be dismissed after successful completion of all sentencing requirements.
