Rajah said:
How badly do they need the money?
Well, they don't necessarily, but quite honestly I have no idea why this makes a difference. It's akin to stealing, and that's not excusable no matter how bad you need money.
I appreciate all of your opinions, and am anxious to hear more. I probably won't do anything either, but just wanted to know what other people thought. A couple of additional points....
This is a very good friend... not just an acquaintance, and I know that's it's true and not just a brag. Just the very nature of the contest, what happened, etc..... plus, it would be of no benefit to "brag" about something like this. It's not "heroic", it's actually pathetic and says I'm not good enough to do this without cheating. It's a contest of skill, so to cheat says you don't have the skill.
I've definitely lost respect, and the win will mean nothing to me. If you can't win without cheating, you apparently weren't the best at it, and therefore the "trophy" is meaningless.
JMO