Convenience Can Be More Important Than Free >>
<< Lawsuits Don't Create New Markets
 tdicon 
EU About Ready To Allow Phone Calls While... >>
<< New Rules On Willful Patent Infringement...
 | 

Stupidity

by Mike Masnick

Thu, Oct 18th 2007 10:57am




Filed Under:
mobile phones, stolen


Purse Snatcher Tries To Ransom Mobile Phone Back To Owner... For $185,000

from the perhaps-he-should-plead-insanity dept

This one fall into the stupid criminal files. A guy who attacked a woman and ended up stealing her purse and mobile phone later tried to ransom the phone back to her for $185,000, a number he seemed to have picked out of thin air (found via The Raw Feed). Apparently, the ridiculousness of the request soon became apparent, as he was quickly negotiated down to $200 ransom. Of course the whole negotiation was taken place with police listening, and so it was the police who greeted him at the transaction location, rather than a woman with $200. The guy's now in jail. If the judge had a sense of humor, he would have set bail at $185,000, rather than $100,000, while also pointing out that he wouldn't negotiate down to $200.

9 Comments | Leave a Comment

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments (rss)

(Flattened / Threaded)

  1.  
    identicon
    Chuck Norris' Enemy (deceased), Oct 18th, 2007 @ 11:20am

    Some just don't have it...

    Logic would tell a robber that, hey, I just stole a ladies purse and cell phone. One, who's phone is she calling from and two where is she gonna get the $200, I am holding her purse in my hands. I would bet the extra zeros came from the visual effect of the wall-eye.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    Danny, Oct 18th, 2007 @ 11:21am

    The only way...

    this could be funnier is if the attacker sued the woman for entrapment or something and was asking for $185K in "irrerparable damages".

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    Ajax 4Hire, Oct 18th, 2007 @ 11:25am

    For the love of money is the root

    of all evil.

    Greed will catch the best of crooks.

    Bears make money, Bulls make money, Hogs get slaughtered.
    Don't get greedy and you won't get caught.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    identicon
    austin p, Oct 18th, 2007 @ 11:36am

    he should have had her wire the money to his swiss bank account.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    icon
    JS Beckerist (profile), Oct 18th, 2007 @ 12:42pm

    or...

    He should have blanked the phone and sold it, provided it wasn't a cheapy...

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  
    identicon
    Chris S., Oct 18th, 2007 @ 12:59pm

    Notch for the TARD's

    This does just go to show how retarded people have become. This ID10T stole her purse and cell, assuming her credit cards and any cash she did have was/is in her purse, and then he demands ransom??
    Phone call from crook to lady (Fly on the wall to hear convo):
    "Hey lady if you ever want to see your phone again...bring me all your cash and credit cards! Oh and swing by Starbucks to get me a Venti White Chocolate Mocha since you are going to be in the area, cool thanks."

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  
    identicon
    FunK, Oct 18th, 2007 @ 1:54pm

    Re: For the love of money is the root

    Lack of money is the root of all evil.
    - George Bernard Shaw

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  
    identicon
    DLW, Oct 18th, 2007 @ 1:55pm

    Must have been..

    .. one of those unlocked iPhones.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  9.  
    identicon
    Asmodeus, Oct 18th, 2007 @ 2:10pm

    All I can say is...

    Wow. *shakes his head*



    Asmo

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


Add Your Comment

Have a Techdirt Account? Sign in now. Want one? Register here
Get Techdirt’s Daily Email
Save me a cookie
  • Note: A CRLF will be replaced by a break tag (<br>), all other allowable HTML will remain intact
  • Allowed HTML Tags: <b> <i> <a> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <hr> <tt>
Convenience Can Be More Important Than Free >>
<< Lawsuits Don't Create New Markets
 tdicon 
EU About Ready To Allow Phone Calls While... >>
<< New Rules On Willful Patent Infringement...
 | 
Follow Techdirt
Flattr rss rss
A word from our Sponsors...
Sponsored Resource
Essential Reading
Techdirt Reading List
Techdirt Insider Chat

A word from our Sponsors...
Recent Stories

Tuesday

8:16pm: Ridiculous Timing: Obama Administration Responds To Spying On AP By Pushing Journalist Shield Law That Wouldn't Matter (13)
5:00pm: DailyDirt: Weapons In The Sky (6)
4:02pm: Bad Day For Prenda Continues: Judge Rejects Stay, Adds $1k Per Day For Each Day They Don't Pay Up (42)
3:01pm: Angry Judge Tells Prenda To Stop Falsifying Alan Cooper's Signature; Calls It Fraud (36)
2:15pm: More Details Emerge On Key Legal Fight Over DMCA Abuse (18)
1:04pm: NYC Says Renting Out Your Place Via Airbnb Is Running An Illegal Hotel (24)
12:01pm: If You Think You Should Actually Own Products You Bought, Now Would Be A Good Time To Call Congress (132)
11:04am: Makers Of Nutella Force Fan Who Created World Nutella Day To Shut It Down [Updated] (45)
10:05am: Kitchen Nightmares Lawyers Threaten Infamous Samy And Amy If They Talk About Their Experience On The Show (28)
9:03am: If You're Going To Illegally Seize Citizens' Cell Phones, At Least Make Sure You're Grabbing The Right Ones (83)
More arrow
A word from our Sponsors...

Close

Email This