Busted by Social Media

Busted by Social Media

Busted by social media, Social media has caught even the best of us. Consider former Congressman Anthony Weiner’s Twitter photo, or Sarah Palin's vocabulary snafuEven President Obama has fallen foul of social media. More seriously, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have undone several criminals. We take a look at those snagged by social media.

Wave Gang and Hoodstarz

When: Jan. 17, 2012

Where?

The arrest: Police arrested 43 members of rival gangs, the Wave Gang and the Hoodstarz, after piecing together their behavior through Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Members of the gangs boasted about killings on social networks, and guns  were recovered during the arrests.

Amanda Crelia


When: Dec. 21, 2011


Where?

The arrest: Police arrested 25-year-old Amanda Crelia after a statue of baby Jesus went missing Crelia had posted photos of the statue on her Facebook page, which was found by police in her father’s garage. Previous thefts had caused the organizers to fill the statue with cement and sand

Isaiah Cutler


When: Dec. 12, 2011


Where?

The arrest: Cutler was arrested following a burglary at a market Police were alerted after Cutler posted photos to his Facebook page less than an hour after his crime.

Jesse Hippolite


When: Sept. 1, 2011


Where?

The arrest: After a series of bank robberies, Hippolite was arrested after clues were gleaned from his Facebook page. Not only did Hippolite reveal his motive on Facebook but he also changed his profile name in honor of a famous bank robber

Rachel Stieringer


When: Aug. 18, 2010


Where?

The arrest: Stieringer turned herself into police after a photo circulated Facebook . After blood tests, her baby was shown to be clear of this drug, although Stieringer was found guilty of this offense.

Mark Dizon


When: July 27, 2010


Where?

The arrest: Mark Dizon, a computer technician, was arrested in 2010 after becoming friends on Facebook with one of his victim’s daughters. Dizon was linked with nine murders, including an American, a Canadian and a Brit during a spate of robberies near this U.S. Air Force base.

Pasquale Manfredi


When: March 16, 2010


Where?

The arrest: Manfredi was on the 100 most wanted list in his homeland, when he was arrested after officers tracked his Facebook use. Manfredi used this nickname in honor of his film hero, and was the leader of this crime family.

Alfred Hightower


When: Dec. 17, 2009


Where?

The arrest: Hightower, who was wanted for this crime, was tracked down by police after fleeing to Canada. Police found he was a fan of this online game, and they subpoenaed the game's maker. Using this, they tracked Hightower’s IP as well as his billing address.

Maxi Sopo


When: Sept. 14, 2009


Where?

The arrest: After emigrating from this country to the United States, Sopo made a living selling roses in nightclubs before moving onto this crime. Sopo initially evaded capture, although he was caught in Mexico after becoming friends with a government worker on Facebook

Jonathan G. Parker


When: Sept. 15, 2009


Where?

The arrest: In one of the most famous cases of Facebook-related crimes, Parker was arrested for this offense. He was linked with the crime after leaving the victim's computer logged on to his Facebook.