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FBI pull Lennon’s fingerprints from auction

A complete set of fingerprints belonging to John Lennon has been withdrawn from auction following the FBI’s seizure of the document just before the late Beatle’s 70th birthday celebrations.

The fingerprint card, which is a segment of Lennon’s 1976 application for permanent U.S. citizenship, was anticipated to generate a minimum bid of $100,000 in an online auction taking place this month.

Peter Siegel, the owner of the auction site, mentioned that the card was being offered on behalf of a private collector.

However, the FBI, who monitored Lennon in the early ’70s due to his activism against the Vietnam War, is said to be investigating how this item ended up for auction.

Both the Department of Homeland Security and the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office made inquiries with the auctioneer regarding the public ownership of a government document before arriving to seize the item.

A representative for the auction house stated, ‘The item has been subject to an investigation by the FBI as it is deemed government property.’

Mr. Siegel commented: ‘In my 20 years of experience, I’ve never experienced this level of government scrutiny regarding an item.

‘Here he is, one of our most celebrated musicians, and they continue their investigations into him.’

The card, encased in a protective plastic bag, comprises all ten of Lennon’s fingerprints and features the signature John Winston Ono Lennon in blue ballpoint pen in the upper left corner.

This document was created at a police precinct in Manhattan and carries four stamps from its progression through the 1976 application process on June 2, June 6, July 8, and August 25.

It was expected to be the highest-earning item in the online auction, fueled by a strong interest in memorabilia from the musical icon, who was tragically shot outside the Dakota Building in New York on December 8, 1980.

His assassin, Mark David Chapman, is currently serving a life sentence at Attica State Prison, having been denied parole for the sixth time last month.

Lennon would have celebrated his 70th birthday on Saturday.

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