Counterfeit "O" Ring Busted Near Sesame Street

After years of undercover investigation, Sesame Street authorities announced today the capture of several members of an illegal, back-alley "O" ring. "These trench coat-clad shysters were selling "O's" for a nickel," said Sesame Street spokesman Bob. "They were undercutting the price of legitemate "O's" by a penny, thereby defrauding the tax paying citizens of Sesame Street of millions of dollars in revenue."

A field agent identified only as "Ernie" made the "O" bust last night, the culmination of years of detective work and personal risk. "Ernie" slowly gained the trust of the underhanded salesmen, eventually infiltrating their organization deep enough to begin setting up multiple "buys." A surveillance agent located inside a nearby garbage can then recorded these "buys" to both audio and video tape. The self-proclaimed "O-Team" struck a major breakthrough when, after tracing the money trail back to ringleader Bert Escobar, "Ernie" was able to place himself as the "O" kingpin's roommate.

"Bert would send these sneaky "O" salesmen out onto the streets, where they would lure potential customers to a brick fence behind Mr. Hooper's Grocery store," said "Ernie." "There, the deal would go down." The gang sold millions of "O's," all for a nickel apiece. One particular salesman, nicknamed "Lefty," was so persuasive that just one shhhhh from him could "send shivers right down your spine." "Lefty" was captured hundreds of times on surveillance video, confidently, sneakily peddling his nickel-priced, counterfeit wares and pleading for silence from his customers. "Lefty" is still at large, and is considered armed, dangerous, and sneaky.

While the exact damage is still being calculated, it's estimated that the ring put several "O" manufacturers out of business with their underhanded business practices, and speculation runs rampant that the gang was also involved in the trafficking of the letter "M" and the number "3" as well. Had the "O" ring continued business, Bob figures that eventually the price of illegal "O's" may even have fallen as low as "a dime a dozen."