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mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Sting operation</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 16 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-16" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">16 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9_%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9_%D9%84%D9%84%D8%A5%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B9_%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%B1%D9%85%D9%8A%D9%86" title="عملية سرية للإيقاع بالمجرمين – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="عملية سرية للإيقاع بالمجرمين" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bn mw-list-item"><a href="https://bn.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A6%AB%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%81%E0%A6%A6_%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BE_%E0%A6%85%E0%A6%AD%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8" title="ফাঁদ পাতা অভিযান – Bangla" lang="bn" hreflang="bn" data-title="ফাঁদ পাতা অভিযান" data-language-autonym="বাংলা" data-language-local-name="Bangla" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>বাংলা</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sting-Operation" title="Sting-Operation – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Sting-Operation" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D8%A7%D8%BA%D9%88%D8%A7" title="عملیات اغوا – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="عملیات اغوا" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Op%C3%A9ration_sous_couverture" title="Opération sous couverture – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Opération sous couverture" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EC%8A%A4%ED%8C%85_%EC%9E%91%EC%A0%84" title="스팅 작전 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="스팅 작전" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operasi_tangkap_tangan" title="Operasi tangkap tangan – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Operasi tangkap tangan" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%AA%D7%A8%D7%92%D7%99%D7%9C_%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%A5" title="תרגיל עוקץ – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="תרגיל עוקץ" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undercoveroperatie" title="Undercoveroperatie – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Undercoveroperatie" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%81%8A%E3%81%A8%E3%82%8A%E6%8D%9C%E6%9F%BB" title="おとり捜査 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="おとり捜査" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9E%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D1%8D%D0%BA%D1%81%D0%BF%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82" title="Оперативный эксперимент – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Оперативный эксперимент" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Policijska_klopka" title="Policijska klopka – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Policijska klopka" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sokma_operasyonu" title="Sokma operasyonu – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Sokma operasyonu" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ur mw-list-item"><a href="https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%B9%DB%8C%D9%86%DA%AF_%D8%A2%D9%BE%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%B4%D9%86" title="اسٹینگ آپریشن – Urdu" lang="ur" hreflang="ur" data-title="اسٹینگ آپریشن" data-language-autonym="اردو" data-language-local-name="Urdu" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>اردو</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link 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data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.unpin">hide</button> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Deceptive way to catch a person committing a crime</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:US_Navy_010717-N-1350W-001_NCIS_agent_prepares_sting_operation.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/US_Navy_010717-N-1350W-001_NCIS_agent_prepares_sting_operation.jpg/220px-US_Navy_010717-N-1350W-001_NCIS_agent_prepares_sting_operation.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="109" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/US_Navy_010717-N-1350W-001_NCIS_agent_prepares_sting_operation.jpg/330px-US_Navy_010717-N-1350W-001_NCIS_agent_prepares_sting_operation.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/US_Navy_010717-N-1350W-001_NCIS_agent_prepares_sting_operation.jpg/440px-US_Navy_010717-N-1350W-001_NCIS_agent_prepares_sting_operation.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2424" data-file-height="1206" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Naval_Criminal_Investigative_Service" title="Naval Criminal Investigative Service">Naval Criminal Investigative Service</a> preparations for an <a href="/wiki/MDMA" title="MDMA">ecstasy</a> sting</figcaption></figure> <p>In law enforcement, a <b>sting operation</b> is a <a href="/wiki/Deceptive" class="mw-redirect" title="Deceptive">deceptive</a> operation designed to catch a person attempting to commit a crime. A typical sting will have an <a href="/wiki/Undercover_operation" class="mw-redirect" title="Undercover operation">undercover</a> <a href="/wiki/Law_enforcement" title="Law enforcement">law enforcement</a> officer, detective, or co-operative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather evidence of the suspect's wrongdoing. <a href="/wiki/Mass_media" title="Mass media">Mass media</a> journalists occasionally resort to sting operations to record video and broadcast to expose criminal activity.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Sting operations are common in many countries, such as the United States,<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> but they are not permitted in some countries, such as Sweden.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> There are prohibitions on conducting certain types of sting operations, such as in the Philippines, where it is illegal for law enforcers to pose as drug dealers to apprehend buyers of illegal drugs. <sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In countries like France, Germany, and Italy, sting operations are relatively rare.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Examples">Examples</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sting_operation&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Examples"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Further information: <a href="/wiki/Operation_Flagship" title="Operation Flagship">Operation Flagship</a></div> <ul><li>Police in Columbus, Ohio, used a <a href="/wiki/Bait_car" title="Bait car">bait car</a> outfitted with surveillance technology to catch three 15- and 17-year-old car thieves.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>In 2004, a joint operation between US, British and Australian police used fake websites - otherwise known as <a href="/wiki/Honeypot_(computing)" title="Honeypot (computing)">honeypots</a> - to catch <a href="/wiki/Security_cracking" class="mw-redirect" title="Security cracking">hackers</a> and <a href="/wiki/Pedophilia" title="Pedophilia">pedophiles</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Wearing luxury timepieces to catch a watch thief. In late 2022, the <a href="/wiki/London_Met_Police" class="mw-redirect" title="London Met Police">London Met Police</a> twice had officers pose as potential victims by wearing high-quality watches such as <a href="/wiki/Rolex" title="Rolex">Rolex</a>. According to them, there was a reduction in watch robberies as a result of the operations.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>A man was ordered released from prison by a US judge who criticized the <a href="/wiki/Federal_Bureau_of_Investigation" title="Federal Bureau of Investigation">Federal Bureau of Investigation</a> for relying on an "unsavory" informant for a fake conspiracy to blow up a <a href="/wiki/Synagogue" title="Synagogue">synagogue</a> in <a href="/wiki/New_York_City" title="New York City">New York City</a> and shoot down planes belonging to the <a href="/wiki/National_Guard_(United_States)" title="National Guard (United States)">National Guard</a>. The defendants, according to prosecutors, spent months scouting out targets and securing what they believed to be explosives and missiles. They were arrested after allegedly planting fake bombs that had been packed with FBI-supplied inert explosives.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Luring <a href="/wiki/Fugitives" class="mw-redirect" title="Fugitives">fugitives</a> out of hiding by sending them mail telling them that they have won a vacation or sports tickets in a competition, which can be collected.<sup id="cite_ref-sting_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-sting-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In a 1985 sting known as <a href="/wiki/Operation_Flagship" title="Operation Flagship">Operation Flagship</a>, US Marshals arrested over 100 fugitives by posing as a television company inviting them to the <a href="/wiki/Washington_Convention_Center" title="Washington Convention Center">Washington Convention Center</a> to claim free tickets for a <a href="/wiki/Washington_Redskins" class="mw-redirect" title="Washington Redskins">Washington Redskins</a> match.<sup id="cite_ref-sting_11-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-sting-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Another established a fictitious airline offering free tickets, arresting those who came to the fake check-in desk at <a href="/wiki/Miami_International_Airport" title="Miami International Airport">Miami International Airport</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-sting_11-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-sting-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Such arrests are significantly safer than arresting the fugitive at their home, as the target will often be unarmed and off-guard.<sup id="cite_ref-:8_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:8-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Arranging for someone under the <a href="/wiki/Legal_drinking_age" title="Legal drinking age">legal drinking</a> or <a href="/wiki/Legal_smoking_age" title="Legal smoking age">smoking age</a> to buy <a href="/wiki/Alcoholic_beverage" title="Alcoholic beverage">alcoholic beverages</a> or <a href="/wiki/Tobacco" title="Tobacco">tobacco</a> products from a store,<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> or to ask an adult to buy the products for them.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Police from <a href="/wiki/Belgium" title="Belgium">Belgium</a> posed as a <a href="/wiki/Documentary" class="mw-redirect" title="Documentary">documentary</a> <a href="/wiki/Film_crew" title="Film crew">film crew</a> to lure a Somali <a href="/wiki/Pirate" class="mw-redirect" title="Pirate">pirate</a> to the country where he was thought to have hijacked a Belgian-registered ship. He was arrested at <a href="/wiki/Brussels_Airport" title="Brussels Airport">Brussels Airport</a> and sentenced to 20 years in prison.<sup id="cite_ref-sting_11-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-sting-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Canadian and American police coordinated a fake wedding for two undercover FBI agents, and the celebration was in fact an operation targeting an international smuggling and counterfeiting operation based out of <a href="/wiki/China" title="China">China</a>. A total of eight guests were stopped by local police en route to the event. Authorities said the defendants had been smuggling highly-realistic counterfeit American currency, bootleg cigarettes, drugs and illegal weapons.<sup id="cite_ref-sting_11-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-sting-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Posting a newspaper advertisement seeking a type of rare item known to have been stolen. In 1998, three agencies joined forces to conduct a sting operation where they successfully recovered the <a href="/wiki/Honduras_lunar_sample_displays" title="Honduras lunar sample displays">Honduras Goodwill Moon Rock</a> from a vault in Miami. The sting operation was known as "Operation Lunar Eclipse" and the participating agencies were <a href="/wiki/NASA_Office_of_Inspector_General" title="NASA Office of Inspector General">NASA Office of Inspector General</a>, the <a href="/wiki/United_States_Postal_Inspection_Service" title="United States Postal Inspection Service">United States Postal Inspection Service</a> and <a href="/wiki/United_States_Customs_Service" title="United States Customs Service">U.S. Customs</a>. The moon rock was offered to the undercover agents for <span style="white-space: nowrap">US$5</span> million. Journalist <a href="/w/index.php?title=Christina_Reed&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Christina Reed (page does not exist)">Christina Reed</a> broke that story in Geotimes in 2002.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Operation Lunar Eclipse and the Moon Rock Project were the subject of the book <i><a href="/wiki/The_Case_of_the_Missing_Moon_Rocks" title="The Case of the Missing Moon Rocks">The Case of the Missing Moon Rocks</a></i> by Joe Kloc.</li> <li>In 2021, David Ballantyne Smith, a security guard working at the British Embassy in Berlin was caught passing secret information to Russian authorities. The undercover operation was prompted by a letter he sent in 2020 to a military staff member at the Russian embassy in Berlin. Smith allegedly received money in exchange for secret information; there were unaccounted-for funds including €800 at his home in <a href="/wiki/Potsdam" title="Potsdam">Potsdam</a>. One undercover British operative posed as a "walk-in" Russian informant under the alias of Dmitry, when Smith escorted him into the building, after which Smith was seen on CCTV recording the earlier footage of Dmitry. A second undercover operative met him in the street and claimed to be a Russian intelligence officer named "Irina" who had been deployed to play the role of a <a href="/wiki/GRU_(Russian_Federation)" title="GRU (Russian Federation)">GRU</a> officer investigating whether Dmitry had been giving the UK information that had been potentially damaging to Russia. Smith, covertly recorded, told Irina that he needed to speak to "someone" (that someone being Dmitry) first before divulging any information.<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li>Posing as a minor on the internet, luring and catching online predators in the act.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sting_operation&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Advance-fee_scam" title="Advance-fee scam">Advance-fee scam</a> – Type of confidence trick fraud</li> <li><a href="/wiki/ATF_fictional_sting_operations" title="ATF fictional sting operations">ATF fictional sting operations</a> – Campaign of sting operations</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/The_Case_of_the_Missing_Moon_Rocks" title="The Case of the Missing Moon Rocks">The Case of the Missing Moon Rocks</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Edison_divorce_torture_plot" class="mw-redirect" title="Edison divorce torture plot">Edison divorce torture plot</a> – Kidnap and torture ring<span style="display:none" class="category-annotation-with-redirected-description">Pages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets</span></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Entrapment" title="Entrapment">Entrapment</a> – Legal doctrine</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fence_(criminal)" title="Fence (criminal)">Fence (criminal)</a> – Person who knowingly buys stolen goods in order to later resell them for profit</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Honey_trapping" title="Honey trapping">Honey trapping</a> – Investigative practice using romantic or sexual relationships</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Honeypot_(computing)" title="Honeypot (computing)">Honeypot (computing)</a> – Computer security mechanism</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Informant" title="Informant">Informant</a> – Person who provides information</li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_scholarly_publishing_stings" title="List of scholarly publishing stings">List of scholarly publishing stings</a> – List of nonsense papers that were accepted by an academic journal or conference</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mr._Big_(police_procedure)" title="Mr. Big (police procedure)">Mr. Big (police procedure)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Murder_of_Rachel_Hoffman" title="Murder of Rachel Hoffman">Murder of Rachel Hoffman</a>, the execution of a police informant during a sting operation</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Narada_Sting_Operation" class="mw-redirect" title="Narada Sting Operation">Narada Sting Operation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Operation_Tennessee_Waltz" title="Operation Tennessee Waltz">Operation Tennessee Waltz</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Possession_of_stolen_goods" title="Possession of stolen goods">Possession of stolen goods</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/John_David_Roy_Atchison" class="mw-redirect" title="John David Roy Atchison">John David Roy Atchison</a> (1954–2007), Assistant US Attorney and children's sports coach, committed suicide in prison after being arrested in a sting operation and charged with soliciting sex from a 5-year-old girl</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stephen_Joseph_Ratkai" title="Stephen Joseph Ratkai">Stephen Joseph Ratkai</a>, arrested and convicted of <a href="/wiki/Espionage" title="Espionage">espionage</a> in <a href="/wiki/Canada" title="Canada">Canada</a> after a successful sting operation</li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/The_Sting" title="The Sting">The Sting</a></i> - a 1973 film</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Vigilantism_in_the_United_States_of_America" class="mw-redirect" title="Vigilantism in the United States of America">Vigilantism in the United States of America</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sting_operation&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFGreenslade2013" class="citation news cs1">Greenslade, Roy (2 June 2013). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/jun/02/sleaze-journalist-sting-debate">"Journalism: to sting or not to sting?"</a>. <i>The Guardian</i> – via www.theguardian.com.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=The+Guardian&rft.atitle=Journalism%3A+to+sting+or+not+to+sting%3F&rft.date=2013-06-02&rft.aulast=Greenslade&rft.aufirst=Roy&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fmedia%2F2013%2Fjun%2F02%2Fsleaze-journalist-sting-debate&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASting+operation" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/human-rights-watch/watch-fbi-targets-america_b_5613151.html">"Watch: FBI Targets American Muslims in Abusive Counterterrorism "Sting Operations"<span class="cs1-kern-right"></span>"</a>. <i>The Huffington Post</i>. 23 July 2014.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=The+Huffington+Post&rft.atitle=Watch%3A+FBI+Targets+American+Muslims+in+Abusive+Counterterrorism+%22Sting+Operations%22&rft.date=2014-07-23&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fhuman-rights-watch%2Fwatch-fbi-targets-america_b_5613151.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASting+operation" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.hogstadomstolen.se/Avgoranden/Vagledande-domar-och-beslut-prejudikat/2007/">[1]</a> Swedish Supreme Court, verdict B 5039-06.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFLuna2021" class="citation news cs1">Luna, Franco (25 February 2021). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/02/25/2080329/pdea-and-pnp-scrap-misencounter-tag-commonwealth-shootout-will-wait-probe-findings">"PDEA and PNP scrap 'miss encounter tag on Commonwealth shootout, will wait for probe findings"</a>. <i>The Philippine Star</i><span class="reference-accessdate">. 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Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bernardbrody.com/case-results/not-guilty-verdict-in-federal-internet-sex-sting-case/">the original</a> on 18 May 2024.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Brody+Law+Firm&rft.atitle=Not+Guilty+verdict+in+federal+internet+sex+sting+case%3A+United+States+v.+JWK&rft.date=2020-08-13&rft.aulast=Brody&rft.aufirst=Bernard&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bernardbrody.com%2Fcase-results%2Fnot-guilty-verdict-in-federal-internet-sex-sting-case%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ASting+operation" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Sting_operation&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/21/government-agents-directly-involved-us-terror-plots-report">Spencer Ackerman: Government agents 'directly involved in most high-profile US terror plots. Human Rights Watch documents 'sting' operations. Report raises questions about post-9/11 civil rights</a>, <a href="/wiki/The_Guardian" title="The Guardian">The Guardian</a>, 21 July 2014.</li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist 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style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output 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href="/wiki/Espionage" title="Espionage">Espionage</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><div class="hlist"><ul><li><a href="/wiki/Espionage#Agents_in_espionage" title="Espionage">Agents</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Asset_(intelligence)" title="Asset (intelligence)">Assets</a></li></ul></div></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Agent_handling" title="Agent handling">Agent handling</a></li> <li><i><a href="/wiki/Agent_provocateur" title="Agent provocateur">Agent provocateur</a></i></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cover_(intelligence_gathering)" title="Cover (intelligence gathering)">Cover</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Covert_agent" title="Covert agent">Agent</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Double_agent" title="Double agent">Double agent</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Field_agent" title="Field agent">Field agent</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mole_(espionage)" title="Mole (espionage)">Mole</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Resident_spy" title="Resident spy">Resident spy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sleeper_agent" title="Sleeper agent">Sleeper agent</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spymaster" class="mw-redirect" title="Spymaster">Spymaster</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cutout_(espionage)" title="Cutout (espionage)">Cutout</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cooptee" title="Cooptee">Cooptee</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Analysis</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Intelligence_assessment" title="Intelligence assessment">Intelligence assessment</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Analysis_of_competing_hypotheses" title="Analysis of competing hypotheses">competing hypotheses</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Devices and<br />communications</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Burn_notice" title="Burn notice">Burn notice</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Concealment_device" title="Concealment device">Concealment device</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Covert_listening_device" title="Covert listening device">Covert listening device</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cryptography" title="Cryptography">Cryptography</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Computer_and_network_surveillance" title="Computer and network surveillance">Computer and network surveillance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cyber_espionage" title="Cyber espionage">Cyber espionage</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dead_drop" title="Dead drop">Dead drop</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Invisible_ink" title="Invisible ink">Invisible ink</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Numbers_station" title="Numbers station">Numbers station</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/One-way_voice_link" title="One-way voice link">One-way voice link</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Phone_surveillance" title="Phone surveillance">Phone surveillance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Short-range_agent_communications" title="Short-range agent communications">Short-range agent communications</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Steganography" title="Steganography">Steganography</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Microdot" title="Microdot">microdot</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Surveillance_tools" title="Surveillance tools">Surveillance tools</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Tradecraft" title="Tradecraft">Tradecraft</a> and<br />techniques</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Canary_trap" title="Canary trap">Canary trap</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Front_organization" title="Front organization">Front organization</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Limited_hangout" title="Limited hangout">Limited hangout</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Operations</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Chinese_intelligence_activity_abroad" title="Chinese intelligence activity abroad">Chinese intelligence activity abroad</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Chinese_espionage_in_the_United_States" title="Chinese espionage in the United States">Chinese espionage in the United States</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cold_War_espionage" title="Cold War espionage">Cold War espionage</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Recruitment_of_spies" title="Recruitment of spies">Recruitment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Black_operation" class="mw-redirect" title="Black operation">Black operation</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Black_bag_operation" title="Black bag operation">black bag</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wetwork" title="Wetwork">wetwork</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eavesdropping" title="Eavesdropping">Eavesdropping</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Signals_intelligence" title="Signals intelligence">SIGINT</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Measurement_and_signature_intelligence" title="Measurement and signature intelligence">MASINT</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/False_flag" title="False flag">False flag</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Industrial_espionage" title="Industrial espionage">Industrial espionage</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Human_intelligence_(intelligence_gathering)" title="Human intelligence (intelligence gathering)">Interpersonal (HUMINT) intelligence</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Interrogation" title="Interrogation">interrogation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Safe_house" title="Safe house">safe house</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/COINTELPRO" title="COINTELPRO">COINTELPRO</a></li> <li><a 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