In 1985, courtesy tickets were offered to about 3,000 fugitives to see a Washington Redskins game, and they were told that they would also have the opportunity to win a trip with all the expenses paid to the Super Bowl.
The promise of a free trip to the best game in football seemed too good to be true. That is because it was.
When more than 100 wanted criminals, they appeared at the headquarters of an alleged television station, they did not claim their prize. Instead, they won a trip to jail.
This was Operation Blagship, a sting operation that saw 101 fugitives voluntarily gather in the DC Convention Center and effectively surrender to the police, everything for the Super Bowl.
The invitations to the Washington Redskins game against the Cincinnati Bengals during week 15 of the 1985 NFL season were sent to the latest known addresses of 3,000 people sought with more than 5,000 outstanding arrest orders.
The invitations of the fictitious television company, Flagship International Sports Television, Inc., to celebrate 'The Hottest Cable Station in America', also hung the possibility of a free trip to the Super Bowl XX in New Orleans, the great game site 40 This year later.
In 1985, the US Sheriff Service used the promise of a free trip to the Super Bowl to arrest more than 100 fugitives sought
The United States Sheriffs sent invitations to 3,000 criminals wanted to claim tickets for the NFL game of Washington Redskins against the Cincinnati Bengals
They sent the invitations under the pretext of international sports television fictitia fictitia
All they had to do was appear in a free brunch, starting at 9:00 am of December 15, 1985 at the Washington Convention Center, where tickets and free transportation to and from the game would be given .
And they appear. The Redskins were very popular at that time, since they had reached Super Bowls in consecutive in 1983 and 1984, and the tickets for a game in the RFK Stadium were almost impossible to get. An offer of two free tickets was a dream come true for anyone in the DC area.
However, on the morning of December 1985, that dream quickly became a nightmare for 101 'guests'.
With the established scenario, the combined efforts of the US sheriffs and the DC Metropolitan Police assured that everything that surrounded the false television station seemed visually authentic.
The fugitives were received by 100 personnel members dressed in tuxedo and with celebration smiles, leaving euphoric criminals as part of the function. They knew little that each one was an agent.
International Bad Sports Television, also known as the fugitive research strike or “fist”, the acronym given to work groups throughout the country, was actually the US Sheriff Service.
Users, catering and cleaning staff were marshal. Even chicken pet and red skins were covert. Meanwhile, the cheerleaders welcome them with affectionate hugs and exhibitions were actually female agents who patted them by weapons.
The police smiled at the bandits who generally persecuted. The officers congratulated the criminals who were up to it. His mission was to kill them kindly. Everything was a smoke curtain: one the fugitives fell to stream, line and plumb.
The female agents were undercover like Redskins's cheerleaders to pat in the fugitives
The officers disguised themselves as omission, cleaning personnel and even pets
Upon arrival, the 'winners' presented their identification to the users who verified that they were fugitive
Groups of 15 were escorted to a room where they were surrounded and arrested
The Chicago Bears finally won the Super Bowl XX in New Orleans
Upon arrival, criminals would present their identification to a wealthyer who would feed their details to the back office where they would be confirmed through code words. A “confirmed winner” was someone who was wanted. A 'double winner' was a dangerous person; Someone who had had assault, murder or aggravated robbery.
After registering, they were rounded in groups of around 15 and led to a room. There, they were told that they would receive their tickets and listen to some words from the master of ceremonies of the Phony Network, played by the head of clothing operations, Louie McKinney.
The words, “we have a big surprise for you, everyone is under arrest,” they were definitely not the ones who expected to listen.
In the 'surprise' signal of McKinney, the special operations group broke into the room, it would surround the criminals and escape them. In total, 101 criminals sought by murders, rapes and probation rapes were arrested.
“We had 119 extremely fortunate individuals who, by chance, were loved by criminal orders,” Bob Leschorn, the attached chief of the application in the United States marshals that was passed through the CEO of the fictitious network of cable television of cable The United States recalled with a smile during a Films documentary of the 2016 NFL.
The operation had been carefully cured that the criminals fought to understand what had happened, even after being trapped.
While the buses that transported the fugitives moved away, one asked: “Can we still go to the game?”
No, they didn't. The sought criminals never arrived at the Redskins game, or the Super Bowl in New Orleans.
But as Kansas City and Philadelphia Eagles chiefs prepare to make their own trip to Big Easy on February 9, the spectacular NFL season can still be remembered for their role in one of the biggest mass arrests and successful fugitive by law of the United States. Compliance: even 40 years later.