THOSE PICTURED ON WANTED POSTERS PROBABLY DON'T READ ABOUT STINGS IN A LOT OF NEWSPAPERS

Once again, avarice has been the undoing of large group of accused lawbreakers. Late last month, the St. Louis County Police Department and the Missouri attorney general's office ran a sting operation which netted 143 people wanted on outstanding arrest warrants.

By now, this story should sound familiar: Someone being sought for arrest gets a letter saying he's entitled to several thousand dollars from a lawsuit settlement. When the mark shows up at a strip mall office to claim their payoff, he is taken to a back room and arrested. Gotcha.

This is the sixth time in recent years Attorney General Jay Nixon's staff has run this sting in Missouri. It never fails to amuse. In fact, it becomes even more amusing to many observers. You would think criminals would have caught on by now. The lure of easy money is just too strong to resist.