Tulsa State Fair carnival worker arrested
By ZACK STOYCOFF World Staff Writer
Published: 10/6/2011
A Tulsa State Fair carnival worker was arrested Wednesday night on an accusation of carnival fraud, according to records. Eric Shane Prince, 41, of Decatur, Ala., was booked into Tulsa Jail after an undercover Tulsa County deputy caught him contradicting the game's posted rules, according to the arrest report.
A rule Prince described to the deputy was not among those posted, the report says. Prince was operating a game that involves throwing darts at balloons for prizes. He was arrested at 9:12 p.m. with bail set at $500, records show.
State law requires that rules for carnival games be posted at all times. Contradicting the posted rules is a misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine or at least six years in prison.
I was pleased it wasn't a story of one of them found in a port-a-potty with someone or something they shouldn't've been in there with.
Quote
booked into Tulsa Jail after an undercover Tulsa County deputy caught him contradicting the game's posted rules
Seems like a lot of resources were squandered for something that should have been a ticket.
While I have a general dislike of carnies (most I've seen are crooked), it's a shame our police efforts are being used to catch carnie fraud instead of the real frauds in the town.
Quote from: dsjeffries on October 06, 2011, 01:59:00 PM
While I have a general dislike of carnies (most I've seen are crooked), it's a shame our police efforts are being used to catch carnie fraud instead of the real frauds in the town.
It would look 'suspicious' to tail the mayor all the time.
Quote from: dsjeffries on October 06, 2011, 01:59:00 PM
While I have a general dislike of carnies (most I've seen are crooked), it's a shame our police efforts are being used to catch carnie fraud instead of the real frauds in the town.
Really, if you dont already understand that all carnival games are rigged against you, don't you deserve to be taken? The fun in playing was in figuring out how they were rigged and letting the carnie know that you knew his trick.
How exactly does one rig the old dart into a balloon game in the first place? Seems like simple physics to me. Be careful and don't aim at the carnie when he/she turns their back.
They arrested two more Carnies last night. The undercover officer asked the Carnie how much it costs to win the big prizes. The carnie said $20. Because the rules of the game have to be posted and no where does it say you can buy a prize, they arrest the carnie.
I can't believe I am taking the side of Carnies, but come on. The deputy offers to buy a prize then arrests him when he agrees.
I feel so much better going to the fair now that I know the deputies are so vigilant in protecting us from people selling stuffed animals without it being expressly written that they can sell stuffed animals.
Quote from: Conan71 on October 06, 2011, 04:03:45 PM
How exactly does one rig the old dart into a balloon game in the first place? Seems like simple physics to me. Be careful and don't aim at the carnie when he/she turns their back.
Bent darts and blunt ends. Duh, Winning !
Back in High School, Through VICA. I worked at the Fair. Running the Drag Lines. I loved those things. The thing that I found out about Carnies was, They are a different kind of Crazy. And if you think Bikers stick together. You should see these guy's in action.
We had three drunk dudes playing the machines and got mad because they couldnt win anything. So one of them was tall enough to reach over and try and grab a prize. The Carnie whips out a pair of nunchucks and racks his wrist. One of his buddies promply steps back. Drops his pants and starts pi**ing on the stand. Within seconds they were swarmed by several Carnies giving them the beat down of their life. The cops finally showed up and the Carnies were already back at their booths and the dudes were doing good to be able to walk out of there. It made quite the impression on me. I wont mess with them.
Quote from: DolfanBob on October 07, 2011, 09:58:12 AM
Bent darts and blunt ends. Duh, Winning !
Plus under underinflated balloons.
We can pick up where we left off last year....
A state fair worker from Maryland wanted on misdemeanor charges of violating the amusement and carnival games act in 2010 was arrested Friday.
Tulsa police arrested Raymond Thomas Gruner, 36, of Damascus during a traffic stop in the 700 block of South Yale Avenue at 12:45 a.m.
Charges filed against Gruner allege he failed to post the rules to a balloon game on Oct. 8, 2010. If convicted, Gruner could face up to 220 days of community service, a $2,000 fine or both. His bond is $300.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/specialprojects/news/crimewatch/article.aspx?subjectid=450&articleid=20120928_450_0_Astate684404
Quote from: patric on September 28, 2012, 03:52:32 PM
We can pick up where we left off last year....
A state fair worker from Maryland wanted on misdemeanor charges of violating the amusement and carnival games act in 2010 was arrested Friday.
Tulsa police arrested Raymond Thomas Gruner, 36, of Damascus during a traffic stop in the 700 block of South Yale Avenue at 12:45 a.m.
Charges filed against Gruner allege he failed to post the rules to a balloon game on Oct. 8, 2010. If convicted, Gruner could face up to 220 days of community service, a $2,000 fine or both. His bond is $300.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/specialprojects/news/crimewatch/article.aspx?subjectid=450&articleid=20120928_450_0_Astate684404
Good Gawd. Talk about unrelated. A traffic stop, really?
Carnies! Small hands, smell like cabbage!
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/42/Mike-Myers-Austin-Powers-1-.jpg)
Something like this?
OFFICIAL RULES
1. Pay $3.
2. Throw darts at balloons.
3. F-off, you lost!
4. Next
Try the casino's that post the odds. Some may give you free drinks. Instead of throwing darts with guidance feathers arranged that keeps them from going in a strait line, take your own darts. "Hey Rube here is another one."
Quote from: RecycleMichael on October 07, 2011, 09:28:35 AM
They arrested two more Carnies last night. The undercover officer asked the Carnie how much it costs to win the big prizes. The carnie said $20. Because the rules of the game have to be posted and no where does it say you can buy a prize, they arrest the carnie.
I can't believe I am taking the side of Carnies, but come on. The deputy offers to buy a prize then arrests him when he agrees.
I feel so much better going to the fair now that I know the deputies are so vigilant in protecting us from people selling stuffed animals without it being expressly written that they can sell stuffed animals.
Again this year:
TULSA -- A Tulsa State Fair worker was arrested for fraud after handing over a Hello Kitty doll to a Tulsa County Sheriff's deputy for $40. Frank Feikema of Houston was booked on a complaint of violating the carnival fraud act.http://www.newson6.com/story/23560611/hello-kitty-doll-lands-tulsa-state-fair-worker-in-jail
Sheesh, overreact much in here? There are kids playing these games and they are getting ripped off. Should we be ignoring this? Or taking it easy on out of state fraudsters because we know how reliable they will be to appear in an Oklahoma court months down the road.
The deputies arrest a carny for selling a stuffed doll and you think we are the ones overreacting?
I think guido's lunch money was taken by a carny when he was a child and he wants revenge.
Can we somehow get ABLE involved in this to help create the perfect storm of stupid ways to waste law enforcement salaries?
Quote from: Ibanez on September 29, 2013, 08:17:49 PM
Can we somehow get ABLE involved in this to help create the perfect storm of stupid ways to waste law enforcement salaries?
A Smootstorm of stupid ways to wast law enforcement salaries!
Quote from: Gaspar on September 30, 2013, 06:32:32 AM
A Smootstorm of stupid ways to wast law enforcement salaries!
Smootstorm = Gaspar wins the interwebs today.
Quote from: carltonplace on September 30, 2013, 11:37:55 AM
Smootstorm = Gaspar wins the interwebs today.
+1 ;D
In the meantime...
Tulsa woman raising money to bail out crooked carny(yes, that's the actual headline).
http://www.krmg.com/news/news/local/tulsa-woman-raising-money-bail-out-crooked-carny/nbBhR
Rosemary Daugherty doesn't think that's right. Daugherty says, "Busted for a Hello Kitty doll? No way!"
Daugherty is helping raise $500 to bail out Feikema. Daugherty says, "You know, your heart just kind of goes out when you see a picture of a kind-faced old man who was busted for something really minor."
There's a lesson for you. Be "Kind-faced".
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IycEA2inZxU/UfTpReafA3I/AAAAAAAADjM/HR_PA9pIDww/s400/QuakerLogo-845x1024.jpg)
Quote from: Ibanez on September 29, 2013, 08:17:49 PM
Can we somehow get ABLE involved in this to help create the perfect storm of stupid ways to waste law enforcement salaries?
While LEOs
should report the arrests they make, TCSO took it upon themselves to supply mugshots to the media, who gleefully ran them as if to endorse this heavy-handed tomfoolery. Maybe a Miss Kitty perp walk was next?
Mug shots are readily available to the public.
Multiple websites make money posting them and then the arrested parties paying them money to remove them.
Quote from: Vashta Nerada on September 30, 2013, 10:43:55 PM
While LEOs should report the arrests they make, TCSO took it upon themselves to supply mugshots to the media, who gleefully ran them as if to endorse this heavy-handed tomfoolery. Maybe a Miss Kitty perp walk was next?
Public record. Mugshots, arrest records and other court documents are public record. Anyone can access them.
(http://consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/hellokittyfair.jpg?w=610)
Consumerist picked Hello Kitty-gate up.
http://consumerist.com/2013/10/01/fair-worker-charged-with-fraud-after-giving-players-hello-kitty-dolls-they-didnt-actually-win/ (http://consumerist.com/2013/10/01/fair-worker-charged-with-fraud-after-giving-players-hello-kitty-dolls-they-didnt-actually-win/)
Quote from: RecycleMichael on September 29, 2013, 07:02:55 PM
The deputies arrest a carny for selling a stuffed doll and you think we are the ones overreacting?
I think guido's lunch money was taken by a carny when he was a child and he wants revenge.
TULSA -- A group of Tulsans has banded together to help a carnival worker put in jail for bending the rules on the midway. Frank Feikema was busted by undercover deputies over the weekend.
Now, a citizens' group has raised the money to bail him out of jail. They are paying bond for a man they've never met.
"Someone being put in jail and a $500 bond for doing something that people do every day, which is exchange goods and services, I thought was ridiculous," said T.C. Ryan.
Deputies posing as fair-goers walked up to Frank Feikema and Jon Morton at the Tulsa State Fair Saturday night. They asked the carnival workers if they could pay to pop a balloon and get any prize they wanted.
Deputies say both the men offered to sell the prizes instead of playing by the rules of the game.
It's illegal in Oklahoma for vendors not to follow the rules of a carnival game. It landed Feikema and Morton in jail.
Morton bonded out over the weekend, but his co-worker stayed behind bars.
"My heart just kind of went out to the guy," said Rosemary Daugherty, who helped raise bond money for Feikema. "We just kind of wanted to help out - that simple."
In one day, the group raised the $500 needed to bail the carnival worker out.
"We just started reaching out to people and started putting the case out there and started talking amongst ourselves and we thought, 'Why don't we just raise the money and bail him out?'" T.C. Ryan said.
"I can understand wanting to protect consumers from fraud, but this was clearly not fraud," he said.
The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office says they'll be doing spot checks throughout the week. "We're going to hold them accountable, and we're going to enforce the rules," said Undersheriff Tim Albin.
The group says they'll try to help Feikema get out of town.
You can bet Tulsa County's finest will be on it!
(http://media.screened.com/uploads/0/5125/383283-sheriff_rosco_p._coltrane.png)
Quote from: rdj on October 01, 2013, 08:36:02 AM
Mug shots are readily available to the public.
Multiple websites make money posting them and then the arrested parties paying them money to remove them.
Despite being public record, media outlets still struggle to get them (some public officials mugshots never get released).
In this case, TCSO disseminated them to cull public opinion in their favor. Didnt work.
As for the websites that post mugshots for the purpose of extracting money from people, that's much closer to extortion than free speech.
Quote from: Vashta Nerada on October 01, 2013, 10:39:22 PM
Despite being public record, media outlets still struggle to get them (some public officials mugshots never get released).
Can't understand why. It's quite easy. You just need the internets.
Quote from: Vashta Nerada on October 01, 2013, 10:39:22 PM
Despite being public record, media outlets still struggle to get them (some public officials mugshots never get released).
In this case, TCSO disseminated them to cull public opinion in their favor. Didnt work.
As for the websites that post mugshots for the purpose of extracting money from people, that's much closer to extortion than free speech.
It's as simple as this:
Search: http://iic.tulsacounty.org/SearchForm.aspx
Result: http://iic.tulsacounty.org/InmateDetails.aspx?Id=20130929002
So simple even a caveman can do it!
(http://tiny-giant-books.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/agile-advice-so-easy-a-caveman-can-do-it.jpg)
Quote from: Gaspar on October 02, 2013, 07:38:57 AM
Can't understand why. It's quite easy. You just need the internets.
I believe sheriffs dont always post them to the internets. http://oudaily.com/news/2012/jun/22/editorial-mug-shots/
Quote from: Gaspar on October 01, 2013, 08:38:35 AM
Public record. Mugshots, arrest records and other court documents are public record. Anyone can access them.
QuotePAWNEE — The Pawnee County Sheriff's Office's claim that a broken camera prevented jailers from taking Sheriff Roger Price's mugshot is being disputed by people who were booked into the jail around the same time.
Price was charged July 14 in Pawnee County District Court with grand larceny and two counts of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, all felonies.
He is accused of stealing a trailer and of driving two vehicles that were seized in drug arrests.
The Pawnee County Sheriff's Office's camera has worked, inmates say, but it hasn't captured the embattled sheriff's image.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100806_12_A16_PAWNEE767529