Since when does the lure of an OZZY OSBOURNE concert become the impetus for a sting operation by one local sheriff?
That’s what an outraged OSBOURNE would like to know after the events that transpired Monday, October 29 before his show at the Fargodome in Fargo, ND.
As masterminded by Paul D. Laney, a local county sheriff–under the name of PDL Productions–this is how the sting was set up, all without OSBOURNE’s knowledge:
Sheriff Laney took the liberty of planning an OZZY OSBOURNE pre-show concert party by offering the very same perks included in OZZY’s “official” VIP tour packages including two tickets to 40 unsuspecting citizens who received the PDL invites by mail.
When the “winners” showed up at the bash, they were promptly handcuffed and arrested on various outstanding warrants. Sheriff Laney quickly held a televised press conference to congratulate himself on the successful sting operation.
“This Sheriff should be ashamed of himself for using my celebrity to arrest these criminals” says Osbourne. “Surely with some good police work and a little bit of time he could have accomplished this without bringing my name into it. It’s insulting to me and to my audience and it shows how lazy this particular sheriff is when it comes to doing his job. It’s obvious to me that Laney has an agenda and is just trying to make a name for himself on my back. Next time try some policing skills.”
Despite his comments about Sheriff Laney’s sting operation, OZZY harbors no ill will to the people of Fargo and hopes to return there under more favorable circumstances.