Florida Man Steals Judge's Sign and Posts Picture With it on Facebook
(Image Credit: Broward County Sheriff''s Office)
Almost everyone on Facebook uploads photos to their profiles. For a 21-year old Florida man, it led to his arrest.
Steven Mulhall of Coral Springs, Florida, is accused of stealing a nameplate from the courtroom door of Judge Michael Orlando - the same day he was in Broward County court for a previous theft.
An anonymous tipster told authorities there was a photo posted of Mulhall holding the sign on his girlfriend's Facebook page. Police matched the photo to a previous mug shot and made the arrest Thursday.
"The nameplate is like only $40, not that big of a crime, but what an idiot. He puts it on Facebook," Broward County Sheriff Al Lamberti told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
"He violated the terms of his parole by stealing, from a judge no less," Lamberti said. "He's got multiple convictions for petty theft, so now this is a felony."
"We've had a few cases recently that we've solved because of Facebook," Jim Leleda, the media director at the sheriff's, told ABC News. "This particular case for this guy was just a smart aleck that stole the thing and then incriminated himself."
Leleda said it is becoming more common for people to post pictures of themselves committing crimes, and for police to use social media to solve cases.