How Cops Used A Fake NFL Football Ticket Giveaway In 1985 To Capture Wanted Fugitive Criminals
100 wanted criminals were peacefully taken into custody after being tricked into coming out of hiding for some free tickets
American football is one of the most beloved sports across the globe. There are rabid fan bases for each team, wo each love nothing more than attending games in person. Tickets to games can be at a premium and are so coveted that they are often used as prizes for various raffles and giveaways. In 1985, using the lure of fake free tickets to a Washington Redskins game, authorities devised an elaborate and successful plan to capture wanted criminals — called Operation Flagship.
Knowing that many football fans would jump at the chance for free tickets, a joint law enforcement effort led by U.S. Marshals was undertaken in late 1985 to try and coax wanted bad guys out of hiding.
Authorities sent out a pile of letters to the last known mailing addresses of a more than 3,000 wanted fugitives (with more than 5,000 outstanding warrants between them) indicating that they had won free tickets to a December 15, 1985 game between Washington and the Cincinnati Bengals. This giveaway was claimed to be in conjunction with the commencement of a new…
