2nd cousin? Ya mean I can marry outside the family?
Posted on 07/30/2011 1:21:11 PM PDT by camerongood210
Their dreams of the Iron Bowl turned into a reality behind iron bars.
What were supposed to be coveted tickets to the 2011 Alabama-Auburn football matchup turned out to be a trip to jail for at least a dozen deadbeat parents arrested Friday by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office as part of operation Iron Snare.
One by one, suspects who were wanted by authorities for a total of more than $270,000 worth of unpaid child support were arrested after arriving at a festive, football-themed location on Second Avenue in Opelika, complete with balloons, streamers and highlights of the 2010 Iron Bowl being shown.
The suspects were transported to the Lee County Detention Facility to await a hearing at which bail will be set, said Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones.
“They’re going to need to come up with some money,” Jones said.
Iron Snare was the first of its kind conducted by the LCSO, but may not be the last time such a method is used to serve warrants for unpaid child support, Jones said.
“That’s just the nature of the game, but if it will help us bring these people in and emphasize to them that they need to take some responsibility, we’re going to do that,” the sheriff said.
Friday’s operation marked the culmination of several months of planning by the sheriff’s office, beginning in April with the mailing of letters to individuals from Auburn, Opelika, Smiths Station, Camp Hill and Columbus, Ga. The correspondence came from a service organization law enforcement officials dubbed the Charter Club of Lee County.
Suspects were told they had won tickets to the 2011 Iron Bowl and that the tickets could be claimed in Opelika, but that winners must bring the letter they were mailed and a photo ID of themselves to pick them up, said LCSO Maj. Tommy Carter.
More than 140 letters were mailed out, many of which were returned undeliverable based on the last known addresses given by those for whom deputies had arrest warrants, Jones said.
“Everyone on the list we are seeking for unpaid child support is at least $30,000 and up to $75,000 behind in child support payments,” Carter said.
Some of those arrested as part of Iron Snare stopped in on their lunch breaks to claim what they thought were football tickets, only to be handcuffed and escorted out to a waiting bus as tunes like “Walk This Way” and “Another One Bites the Dust” were piped over a sound system.
“Do I still get my tickets?” asked one suspect as he was handcuffed.
No tickets were actually awarded.
Two suspects arrested Friday were also charged with drug violations, and one suspect charged with not making child support payments had several hundred dollars on his person, Jones said.
“We want to send the message that if you haven’t paid your child support, we’re coming after you and we’re going to get you one way or another,” Carter said.
Beware of letters saying you won a prize in a contest you never entered in the first place.
curious if police can be sued for mail fraud since they sent a letter promising something that they had no intention on delivering?
At least he didn't say, "Go Tide!"
LEO moral booster. They must have a lot of fun coming up with these ruses.
Bummer
Good question. Unfortunately, police tend to be above the law in these types of situations.
This was meant to encourage respect for the law among people who might feel deeply that it wasn't applied to them personally in a balanced manner, some of whom might be right?
this is horrible — the police state is in your face
mail fraud: yes
I’ve even read that if you owe on and have defaulted on a college load you cannot get a passport today.
Welcome to the USSA
I thought it was sad. Humiliating for those people. The last one had his act together, though—that was a bit uplifting.
Come on Alabama folks.
All you needed to do was to send that Child Support Check to your Second Cousin and you would not be in this mess.
Long to load, but indeed well worth the laugh!
Classic example of local skill and initiative. Good to see a report of law enforcement doing their job, doing it well, and showing innovation. Well done to these Alabama cops.
I'm happy for the kids that will finally get their money.
Yep! Get it before a liberal judge and when this is over, the perps will own box seats at the stadium.
11 arrests out of 140 warrant letters mailed out. Okay, so that’s only a 7.9% success rate but they made it so much fun for the arrestees!
Yes, as soon as you pay all the overdue child support payments.
Tickets will be available. . . . . For a fee of course. Yo daddy never taught you TINSTAAFL. My daddy taught me: :There Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. . . .
Also no Free Iron Bowl Tickets. . . . . EVER.
We’re talkin’ Lee County AL here. Liberal judges are about as scarce as leftover fried chicken after a family reunion.
They got what they deserve. We are blessed down here with a bit of a rebel attitude and very few invasive laws - unlike some cesspools of “progressive” local government.
But you don’t do somebody wrong - kids in this case - without paying the price sooner or later.
I’d like to see antics of law inforcement like this become a regular feature. Heck, the sheriff’s department could turn this into a reality show with minimal effort.
Yes but it is a federal statute. Could a case be made for breach of contract? Article said there were no tickets given, and implied that none were ever there to be given. If dolorean was found innocent because the police entrapped, could the case be made that a contract was agreed upon by both parties when they instructed the men to bring their ID and the letter to receive their tickets? Doesnt that imply exchange? You do this and we will do this? If there were not tickets to be exchange it certainly seems that this would constitute fraud at least civilly. Again , not a lawyer.
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