There is a man who has been going around high schools in America seeking piggyback rides from student athletes. His name is Sherwin Shayegan, but most people now refer to him as “The Piggyback Bandit” (No. 22 in the image above).
His antics began back in 2008, when he used to appear at basketball, hockey, soccer and football games within the states of Washington and Oregon. He has since expanded his operation into the states of Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota. According to sources, Shayegan usually shows up at high school sporting events and tries to blend in with the teams by laying out their jerseys, offering players water, and even giving some of them shoulder massages. Once the game is over, he attempts to celebrate with the winning team and usually asks one of the players for a piggyback ride.
In October 2011, the Piggyback Bandit was arrested in Helena, Montana after jumping on two unsuspecting high school students during a soccer tournament. Apparently, authorities were notified of Shayegan’s intentions after he had told a hotel clerk about his plan earlier that day. An officer in plain clothes attended the tournament and arrested Shayegan following his attempted piggyback ride.
The Piggyback Bandit pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges on February 1. He was fined $730, given a 360-day suspended prison sentence and was ordered by the judge to “go back to Seattle and behave.” Needless to say, he declined to follow those orders, as he showed up to a Century High School basketball game in North Dakota, and after helping out the players on the bench, he once again requested a piggyback ride following the game. Much to his delight, one of the Century High players obliged.
No one is really sure what to make of Shayegan and his antics at the moment. While he hasn’t really gone out of his way to harm any of the student athletes, he does have 16 convictions in the state of Washington and several outstanding warrants for his arrest – most of them are for failing to appear in court or show up for work crews as part of earlier sentences. And then there is the fact that it is probably never safe for a 5’8″, 240-pound man to unsuspectingly jump on a teenager’s back.
Either way, if you happen to be a student athlete and suddenly you feel someone climbing on your back following a victory, we recommend you call the cops and tell them you’ve just captured the “Piggyback Bandit.”
Hat Tip – [Sports Illustrated]