A roundup of major developments from the worlds of sports and crime: the Vancouver Whitecaps may leave the city due to financial problems and lack of buyers, scammers in Seattle are tricking residents with fake locksmith stickers, and a Texas man received nine years in prison for a series of armed ATM robberies across six states.
MLS may strip Vancouver of its club: Whitecaps on the brink of relocation
One of the Canadian host cities for the upcoming FIFA World Cup risks losing its professional team. Major League Soccer has officially said it intends to consider all options for the future of the Vancouver Whitecaps, up to and including relocating the club to another city. The club, partly owned by basketball legend Steve Nash, was put up for sale 16 months ago, but no buyer willing to keep the team in Vancouver has emerged.
The Whitecaps’ problems are structural. The club’s statement explains that the main obstacles are limited revenue opportunities and a short-term lease on BC Place. It is on that stadium, which seats over 54,000 spectators, that seven World Cup matches will be held in June and July 2026, including Canada’s games against Qatar and Switzerland. The paradox is that the city is preparing to host the world’s biggest soccer event while it may simultaneously lose the club that represents Vancouver in North America’s top flight.
Last weekend, before the stadium was turned over to the World Cup organizing committee, the team played its final home match. The game drew more than 27,000 fans, who filled the stands with signs reading “Save The Caps.” In February last year FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani, who is himself from Vancouver, made an emotional statement saying that losing an MLS club on the eve of a World Cup would be a “crime of the century.”
In the 15 years since joining the league, the Whitecaps franchise value rose from tens of millions of dollars to several hundred million. Yet the club still can’t find an investor. The Seattle Times reports that during the search there were “serious negotiations with more than 100 parties,” but no offer would have kept the team in the city. Interestingly, the current Whitecaps squad is delivering strong results — last season, with legendary German forward Thomas Müller on the roster, the team reached the MLS Cup final, losing 1–3 to Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami. But sporting success so far has not outweighed economic difficulties, and the future of one of Canada’s oldest soccer clubs remains in doubt.
Warning: Fake locksmith stickers — how scammers deceive Seattle residents
Imagine this: you slam a door and your keys are inside, and you have urgent matters to attend to. In a panic you grab the first locksmith sticker you see promising a quick response and a low price. That’s exactly what scammers prey on, placing bogus ads that can cost you not only stress but a lot of money. In a report by local station KIRO 7 News Seattle, journalists conducted their own investigation and encountered a real epidemic of fake service providers. The problem is simple: unscrupulous companies paste stickers with phone numbers and names that mimic legitimate locksmiths. When a customer calls, they’re quoted one price, but once the work is done they are charged several times more, often with the threat that the lock will be left broken.
To understand the scam mechanism, it’s worth examining how these faux specialists operate. They carefully pose as reputable local firms, using similar names and addresses registered to fake offices. When the dispatched technician arrives, he often claims the lock is complex and requires a replacement mechanism or drilling, which dramatically raises the cost. Victims, placed in a desperate situation, feel compelled to pay. According to the report, charges can range from a $200 bill for a simple callout to several thousand dollars for an alleged “emergency” lock replacement. Often the company’s actual license is invalid or nonexistent.
The key takeaway from the piece is the need to verify information before calling. Don’t trust stickers found on poles, lobby walls, or in elevators. Legitimate locksmiths rarely advertise this way. Instead, save contacts for recommended professionals from neighbors or the building management, and in an emergency check the company through the Better Business Bureau database or local online reviews. Another red flag is an operator who can’t name a final price without seeing the job but promises a very low base rate. If you do fall victim to a scam, contact the police immediately and file a complaint with consumer protection authorities.
Incidents with fake locksmiths are just the tip of the iceberg in a broader problem of scams involving emergency services. The same schemes are used for plumbers, electricians, or tow truck operators. The main lesson for residents is to never act in haste: one minute of checking can save you both money and stress. Seattle’s story is a stark reminder that trust can be exploited at the worst possible moment.
Prison term for armed ATM raids: Texas man gets nine years
23-year-old Texas resident Ahmon Hogg was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for a series of violent ATM robberies that swept through several states, including Washington. The criminal activity by Hogg and his accomplice, 24-year-old Seth Cole Body, spanned eight months across six states and caused nearly $770,000 in losses. According to MyNorthwest.com, the sentence was handed down Tuesday in Seattle’s federal court after Hogg pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery and two counts of attempted bank robbery. His co-defendant, Seth Body, received ten years earlier this month.
The scheme was calculated and brutal: the perpetrators disabled ATMs and then attacked the technicians who arrived to repair the machines, stealing bags of cash. U.S. District Judge James L. Robart, delivering the sentence, emphasized that the crimes involved careful planning, coordination, and the use of violence, representing a serious threat to public safety. It is particularly cynical that the first series of attacks in Washington took place on the eve of Christmas 2024, when ATMs were heavily stocked with cash due to holiday demand. Hogg and Body disabled Bank of America machines in Renton and Battle Ground, prompting calls for technicians who were then attacked.
The criminal activity extended beyond Washington. The raids spanned from Oregon and Arizona to Texas, Maine, and Mississippi. In June 2025 in South Portland, Maine, prosecutors say Hogg beat a technician so severely the man nearly lost consciousness. The suspects were later stopped in Mississippi, where authorities found stolen cash and firearms in their vehicle. In addition to prison terms, both men must repay victims and banks about $770,000.
