A clever crook was released from a Chicago prison by accident. The Cook County Jail released who they thought was 28-year-old Quintin Henderson on an I-bond for a drug charge. Actually released was another inmate, Jahquez Scott who switched identities with Henderson and promised him $1,000 for the identity swap. It seems like an impossible scenario, but we are living in exceptional times.
21-year-old Scott was wearing a face mask as he pretended to be Henderson during his escape. Although easy to blame the jail for dumb negligence, it was actually “ordered by a federal judge to provide face masks for all inmates who are quarantined for any reason amid the coronavirus pandemic” reported Chicago’s local CBS affiliate.
Authorities are still searching for Scott, who has a record for aggravated battery to a police officer, possession of a controlled substance, criminal trespass to land, and unlawful use of a weapon. They are asking anyone with knowledge of Scott’s whereabouts to call 773-674-8477.
In the age of the coronavirus pandemic, safety measures often go head to head with identity risks. A few examples of hundreds are dead people receiving stimulus checks, falsifying information for small business loans, canceling primary presidential election votes, and now add releasing the wrong prisoner to the list.
Under federal mandates and the Centers for Disease Control guidelines, many are confused as to what they can or cannot do, and what they will and will not get in trouble for. Furthermore, will their consequences be marginal or land them in prison-like the Texas salon owner?
We as a nation have another huge issue to combat during this bizarre time of safety measures versus fraud: electing our next president. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends “mail-in methods of voting” due to coronavirus. Even before the pandemic, mail-in ballots have been one of the largest forms of voter fraud.
Voter fraud has always plagued our elections and President Trump warns against it. In early April Trump tweeted, “Republicans should fight very hard when it comes to statewide mail-in voting. Democrats are clamoring for it. Tremendous potential for voter fraud, and for whatever reason, doesn’t work out well for Republicans.” The CalTech/MIT Voting Technology Project not only agrees with President Trump but suggests abolishing voting by mail altogether because of the “significant cost to the real and perceived integrity of the voting process.”
