Criminals Caught By Bragging About Their Crimes Online
More often than you'd think, people who commit crimes talk about them online. These criminals were caught on Facebook and other online outlets when police and/or concerned citizens saw what they had been up to in their free time.
What crimes do people post on Facebook? Just take a look and see.
A Man Used His Wanted Poster As His Profile Picture
Police had an easy time tracking down Floridian Mack Yearwood, wanted in connection with an assault that took place over Labor Day weekend 2016, after he used his own wanted poster as his Facebook profile picture. Cops in Stuart, FL, north of Miami, used Yearwood's FB to track him to his brother's house, where he was arrested.
Writing on the Stuart Police Department Facebook page, Cpl. Brian Bossio noted, "Facebook is a great way to communicate and connect with old friends and family... If you are wanted by the police, it's probably not a good idea to use the 'Wanted of the Week' poster of yourself as your profile pic."
A Gang Leader Tweeted About Getting Away With Murder
After prematurely tweeting that he "beat a body" (referring to the person he killed and the charges he evaded) in 2012, gang leader Ronald Herron posted a YouTube video of himself firing handguns and claiming that he was the head of a "Murder Team." Herron was arrested.
Two Gambling Machine Thieves Celebrated With Selfies
Benjamin Robinson and Daniel Hutchinson stole thousands of British pounds from gambling machines, then took selfies with their haul. North Yorkshire Police originally found more than £3,000 in cash in Robinson and Hutchinson's car when they stopped it in Skipton, UK in June 2014. The men wore disguises during the act, but snapped pictures afterwards and posted them to social media.
A Bank Robber Recorded His Crime And Posted It On Instagram
Dominyk Antonio Alfonseca held up a bank in Virginia Beach in 2015. He posted a picture of the note he passed a bank teller demanding the money. He also uploaded two videos he took while committing the crime, including one of the bank teller reading his note and another of the teller handing over the cash. He was picked up by police 20 minutes later.
A Girl Made A YouTube Video After Robbing A Bank
Hannah Sabata stole $6,000 from a Cornerstone Bank in 2012 before immediately coming home to make a YouTube video about it.
“I just stole a car and robbed a bank. Now I’m rich, I can pay off my college financial aid and tomorrow i’m going for a shopping spree," she wrote in the video's description, adding, "Bite me. I love GREENDAY!”
Police were notified and Sabata was arrested. The video was used at her trial as evidence.
A Man Posed For A Facebook Photo In A Stolen Coat
In 2011, Rodney Knight Jr. stole "a bunch of stuff" (like cash, a laptop, and a winter coat) from Washington Post journalist Marc Fisher's home, and took a photo of himself doing it. He posted the image to his son's Facebook account. He was later arrested and charged with burglary.
A Woman Named Herself 'Queen Of Tax Fraud' On Facebook
Rashia Wilson called herself the "Queen of IRS Tax Fraud" in 2011 because, according to court documents, she stole more than $20 million dollars. She gave herself the title on Facebook, and when cops found out, she was sentenced to 21 years in jail.
A Pair Of Bank Robbers Posted A Photo With The Cash
After allegedly robbing a Savings Bank in Ohio in 2015, John Mogan and Ashley Duboe posted a number of silly photos of themselves posing with the cash in various positions online. They were soon arrested.
43 Gang Members Were Arrested After Tweeting About Their Activity
In 2012, police arrested 43 alleged gang members in connection with a series of shootings in Brooklyn. The suspects posted about their supposed criminal activities on Facebook and Twitter.
A Man Wanted For Assault Taunted The Police On Facebook
After being accused of "rape by force" in 2012, Dustin McCombs took umbrage with the police department labeling him the "creep of the week" and decided to troll them on Facebook. The authorities traced his location and arrested him soon after.
A Man Posted About Siphoning Gas From A Cop Car
Michael Baker siphoned gas from a cop car in 2012, and shared a picture on Facebook of the deed. He was arrested soon after.
