Alabama Men Charged With Rigging Bass Tourney

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. (AP) – Two north Alabama men are free on bond after being arrested on charges of cheating at a bass fishing tournament.

Authorities say 45-year-old Robert Gallaspie of Boaz and 37-year-old Gary Lee Minor Jr. of Albertville are charged with tampering with a sporting event.

The men turned in enough big bass to win a fishing tournament at Lake Guntersville last week.

But officials say the men took the fish out of a hidden holding tank where they had been stored before the competition began.

Court records don’t show whether either man has hired a defense lawyer, but they are free on $5,000 bond each and face a court hearing on June 18.

Tournament organizers have barred the two from future competitions.