What was Operation Flagship? How U.S. Marshals used Super Bowl tickets to conduct a sting operation
Operation Flagship was all about getting fugitives off the streets in a very unorthodox way. Invitations were given out by U.S. Marshals and the Metropolitan Police Department. The invitations had them show up at the Washington Convention Center, after which the fugitives were told that they had won two free tickets to the Redskins-Bengals game in December 1985.
As per the invitations, 10 of the lucky winners were to get season tickets to the Redskins '1986 season. The fugitives were promised that a grand prize draw would be held for an all-expenses-paid trip to Super Bowl 20 in New Orleans.
It was a promotion for a new sports television station, Flagship International Sports Television. The initials of the fictitious TV enterprise, F.I.S.T., stands for Fugitive Investigative Strike Team, a special U.S. Marshals force. Several of the fugitives were wearing suits and ties as others donned Commanders' jerseys and hats.
They were among 3,000 people who had been invited to attend what they thought would be a typical Sunday brunch and the opportunity to get free Redskins tickets.
The Master of Ceremonies announced that he had a ″suprise″ for the ticket-winners. However, the emcee was an undercover police officer. Next, the fugitives found themselves encircled by almost 30 flak-jacketed and gun-holding marshals and District of Columbia police officers.
How many fugitives were arrested during Operation Flagship?
In all, the police and U.S. marshals took 101 fugitives into custody. One of the police officers even wore a large yellow chicken suit and oversized red boots in disguise.
In 1985, the police sent free Super Bowl tickets to wanted criminals just to arrest them when they arrived to the stadium https://t.co/HhbyJRJKox
Those arrested included two people wanted for murder, five for robbery, 15 for assault, six for burglary, one for rape and another for arson. The price of Operation Flagship was roughly calculated at $22,100 or about $225 per arrest. U.S. marshals called it the biggest mass arrest of fugitives at the time.
A U.S. Marshal involved in Operation Flagship said the fugitives fell for the rouse rather easily.
The U.S. Marshal said:
″It was like an assembly line. It was party time, and they fell for it, hook, line and sinker.″
One of the fugitives had a different opinion on the operation as they were being taken away in handcuffs.
The fugitive said:
″This ain’t fair, this just ain’t fair."
Needless to say, free tickets to a game and the chance to go to the Super Bowl were truly too good to be true.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit AP and H/T Sportskeeda.