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Over 100 criminals caught with Xbox 360 bait: Outlaws are not smart, by the way
7:53 AM on 11.30.2007, Jim Sterling 37 comments

Over 100 criminals caught with Xbox 360 bait: Outlaws are not smart, by the way photo
     STOOPID!

If Mohammed will not go to the mountain, the mountain must come to Mohammed. It is with this trusty proverb in mind that US marshals seem to be approaching the capture of criminals in Texas, as they have used the promise of an Xbox 360 as bait to lure over one hundred lawbreakers out of hiding.

What?

Yes, that's right. The Marshals and El Paso police worked together to trick a large number of criminals into thinking they had won a free Xbox 360. When they showed up to claim the prize, they instead won a trip to jail and an award for the biggest dumbass that side of Mississippi. 

115 very, very stupid people were eventually arrested. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a body to bury and then I'm going to cash in this ticket I received for a free Nintendo Wii. Just dropped right on my doorstep, it was.


Next page: More Xbox 360 stories




9to5's Avatar
9to5 at 11/30/2007 07:57
Don't mention [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7121025.stm/]the M word[/url] Jim lad!
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 11/30/2007 07:59
Well, shit... And I'd gotten my hopes up. Luckily my new best friend the deposed Prince of Nigeria has promised me enough cash to buy as many 360s as I want!
9to5's Avatar
9to5 at 11/30/2007 07:59
Sorry, fail, try again. the M word
Justin Villasenor's Avatar
Justin Villasenor at 11/30/2007 08:01
Stupid criminals are stooooopid.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 11/30/2007 08:02
Psst! 9to5 meant this.
razerangel's Avatar
razerangel at 11/30/2007 08:07
correct me if im wrong but isnt that technically solicting a crime, which in itself is an arrestable offence, but then again that is here in Britian. Maybe your laws are more pliable over the pond?
smoger's Avatar
smoger at 11/30/2007 08:11
simpsons did it.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 11/30/2007 08:16
Don't follow you there razerangel, how is it soliciting a crime? The people arrested were already wanted for various crimes and in hiding from the law, the offer of a 360 was just a trick to get them to show up where they could be arrested.
DeusPayne's Avatar
DeusPayne at 11/30/2007 08:20
@razer: I believe you're thinking of entrapment laws, which state that an officer is not allowed to provoke someone into breaking the law with the purpose of arresting them after. No crime was committed here other than the ones they were being hunted down for.
Reafis's Avatar
Reafis at 11/30/2007 08:28
I think this would have been better if they'd used PS3s, 2 x the stupidity factor...
Painuser's Avatar
Painuser at 11/30/2007 08:29
@rubadub and everyone else.

Why are you calling everyone who got arrested a idiot? You would run to your nearest Gamestop if they had said you won a Nintendo Wii. No questions asked. And generalized statements like Texans are stupid is something that belongs in a Youtube video's comments. Lets grow up, this isnt grade school.

You people are making it out that these people were all murderers and drug dealers. Alot of times stuff like that is for failure to appears for traffic court and etc. They dont want to spend the time and money to do knock-and-talk warrant servings, its much easier to do it this way.

Think before you speak.
VWGTI's Avatar
VWGTI at 11/30/2007 08:41
Police have been using this tactic for years. Usually it's a nice TV, and the crooks always fall for it.

There is a prime example of why these guys can't function in a society.
dr3nd4r's Avatar
dr3nd4r at 11/30/2007 08:52
hahaha, Chief Wiggumm did the same thing a while ago in a simpsons episode (if i remember well, the bait was a boat or something)
Lord The Night Knight's Avatar
Lord The Night Knight at 11/30/2007 09:00
"hahaha, Chief Wiggumm did the same thing a while ago in a simpsons episode (if i remember well, the bait was a boat or something)"

Or hiding in a confessional booth. in part 2 of "Who shot Mr. Burns".
Origim's Avatar
Origim at 11/30/2007 09:07
VWGTI "Police have been using this tactic for years. Usually it's a nice TV, and the crooks always fall for it.

There is a prime example of why these guys can't function in a society. "

Yep they do it for everything from sporting event tickets to a brand new car. The police department my uncle works for did it with WWE RAW tickets one year and cleared up 300 warrants in about 2 hours. Nothing is free there is always a cost and some times it's 5 to 10 in the joint.
VWGTI's Avatar
VWGTI at 11/30/2007 09:17
Yea, you think these guys would wise up, however, that obviously isn't happening.
Rucksack's Avatar
Rucksack at 11/30/2007 09:19
Damn. If I was on the run you can be sure I wouldn't surface for a fucking game console!!

Seriously..
maxio098ui's Avatar
maxio098ui at 11/30/2007 09:38
this is like in some movie, but that police guy saves the guy and his kid who was just going that way to a free yankees ticket thing.
Redzie's Avatar
Redzie at 11/30/2007 09:45
XBox catches criminals, take that folding@home!
Epitaph's Avatar
Epitaph at 11/30/2007 09:51
@Painuser:

From TFA: "Working jointly with the El Paso police, the marshals led a number of criminals, most of whom were wanted on drug or violent crime charges".

Let's grow up and RTFA before talking about other people's actions. In my books, if you're a fugitive, you have way better things to take care than play t3h haloes.

Think before you speak.
razerangel's Avatar
razerangel at 11/30/2007 09:59
yeah entrampment is what I meant, surely using the ruse of a free xbox is false advertising which is again an offence. So surely they police officers are bending the law to arrest felons, which is a bit immoral.
9to5's Avatar
9to5 at 11/30/2007 10:23
@Mxyzptlk thanks for correcting my fail.

@everybody else- entrapment is coercing someone into committing a crime and then catching them. Just asking someone to turn up somewhere is not entrapment.

PS- all my legal knowledge is gleaned from playing Phoenix Wright and is not to be taken as legal advice.
DeusPayne's Avatar
DeusPayne at 11/30/2007 11:19
razer: that's not false advertising. At worst, it'd be considered a bait and switch, but there's no switching taking place. Anyone can claim anything at any point in time, but you don't follow strangers into vans when they promise you candy too? Or... would you like some candy?
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 11/30/2007 12:19
they did the same bit in The Simpsons only for a free boat.
Putthebottledown's Avatar
Putthebottledown at 11/30/2007 12:41
"UP UP AND AWAY!! IN MY BEAUTIFUL, MY BEAUTIFUL MOTOR BOAAAATTTT!!!"

-Homer Simpson

That episode is awesome
Eschatos's Avatar
Eschatos at 11/30/2007 14:08
Wow, what idiots, who would ever want an Xbox 360?
Barcode's Avatar
Barcode at 11/30/2007 15:54
That's pretty funny to know that they truly believed that they won a free 360 without doing anything.
Jordan Grim Devore's Avatar
Jordan Grim Devore at 11/30/2007 15:55
Haha I came here to talk about The Simpsons too.
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 11/30/2007 16:38
Jeez, what dumbasses.
The Grudge's Avatar
The Grudge at 11/30/2007 16:54
Hah! No Haloz for jooz!

This doesn't make for a good jail cell conversation.

"How did they get you?"

"Um, a 100 man swat team..."
grrza's Avatar
grrza at 11/30/2007 18:25
haha, I grew up in El Paso.

Reprazent!
Jetsetlemming's Avatar
Jetsetlemming at 12/01/2007 12:00
Reminds me of what Valve did to the guy that hacked them and stole the source beta code. Offered him an IT job because he was so l33t and kewl, with plans to have the FBI pick him up at the airport, but unfortunately his home country got news of the plan and arrested him first.
Fading Star's Avatar
Fading Star at 12/01/2007 13:38
:(.
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