Monday, 5 November 2007

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Ozzy Osbourne used as criminal bait

Rocker furious with police for using his name in sting

Ozzy Osbourne is furious with a Dakota sheriff for using him as criminal bait.

Paul D. Laney used the rocker’s name in a sting operation to catch wanted criminals.

The Cass County sheriff sent invitations to 500 people with outstanding warrants against them, offering the chance to meet Ozzy, 58, at a party.

More than 30 attended the bogus event and were arrested.

But Ozzy isn’t impressed his name was used to lure law-breakers.

‘Instead of holding a press conference to pat himself on the back, Sheriff Laney should be apologising to me for using my name in connection with these arrests,’ he says.

‘It is insulting to me and to my audience and it shows how lazy this particular sheriff is when it comes to doing his job.’

But sheriff Paul is unrepentant.

‘We meant no disrespect toward Mr Osbourne or his show,’ he tells the Daily Star. ‘What we did was a very creative law enforcement technique to lure individuals who had active criminal warrants to come to us.’