FARGO - The man who nicknamed himself the "Piggyback Bandit" due to his affection for jumping on the backs of high school athletes has been spotted in the Fargo-Moorhead area.
Sherwin Shayegan, 28, has been banned from all North Dakota high school sporting events after attempting to get piggyback rides from students at three high school games in Bismarck last weekend, according to KXMB-CBS12 in Bismarck.
Concordia Sports Information Director Jim Cella said Shayegan was "definitely the guy" coaches noticed handing water to players at Wednesday's men's basketball game against St. Olaf College at Memorial Auditorium.
Cella said the man, believed to be Shayegan, dressed in a T-shirt and basketball shorts, was seated behind the St. Olaf players.
Game officials had not heard of Shayegan's antics at the time of the game.
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"He was telling people he was a fan of St. Olaf," Cella said.
Shayegan got close to players, pouring cups of water and leaving them on the table for the athletes.
The St. Olaf coach said he was uncomfortable with Shayegan's actions so Cella approached him and asked him to keep a safe distance.
Shayegan seemed to comply without incident, Cella said.
"There was no piggybacking at our place," Cella said.
That was not the case in Bismarck.
Bismarck Public Schools Activities Director Jim Haussler told KXNews that, "there were a number attempts to get piggyback rides, and he was successful at a couple of them. He tried to make his way to locker rooms and was stopped."
A KXMB-CBS12 reporter told The Forum that authorities are looking for the 250-pound Shayegan, who has been banned from high school sporting events in his home state of Washington as well as Oregon and Montana.
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In Montana, Shayegan pleaded guilty to two counts of assault Feb. 1.
The Independent Record in Helena, Mont., reported Shayegan was ordered to pay $730 and given a one-year suspended jail sentence for jumping on the backs of two players at a Montana high school soccer tournament in October.
The judge told him to go back to Seattle and behave.
The Herald and The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead are both owned by Forum Communications.
