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The 2 Prisoners Who Switched Identities And Sentences for $100 And A Suit
A sneaky plot in a New York jail in 1941 almost succeeded
Today, the criminal justice system utilizes cutting edge technology to keep track of the numerous prisoners behind bars. However, that’s a more recent development, and keeping track of inmates used to be much more difficult. It was this ambiguity that allowed two incarcerated men in 1941 to exchange identities and sentences for the handsome price of $100 and a new suit of clothes.
The old switcheroo was pulled off in 1941 in Harlem, New York by two prisoners of the Harlem jail. John Steel had been sentenced to 10 days behind bars for vagrancy. Upon being brought into start serving his sentence, he met William Flanagan, who was in the midst of a six-month bid for disorderly conduct.
The two men worked out a deal where they agreed to pretend to be the other. Neither having been in that particular jail very long, they were able to do so without the authorities noticing. Accordingly, Flanagan (posing as Steel) was released just ten days later.
Somehow, prison officials found out what had transpired and were able to arrest both men for false impersonation. Commissioner of Corrections, Peter Amoroso explained that the motivation for the intricate deal was…
