Can Boasting Online Land You In Jail?

Many of our savvy readers are well aware of the potential damage to your reputation lurking around every corner on the Internet, but did you know that your behavior online can also potentially be used to put your in jail?

Most recently, Houston police brought in four individuals accused of robbing a bank and were able to file charges based on several status updates posted to their Facebook profiles.  Posts included “GET $$$(,” and “IM RICH,” in addition to some other grammatically incorrect disasters.  Not only did they *allegedly* rob a bank, but they’ve also dazzled the world with their near incoherent babbling.  Nice work, guys.  You will now be forever known as “that guy who ‘wipes his teeth with hundreds'”.

The bank robbery in Houston is not the first to be aided by social media.  The Huffington Post recently posted 19 other Facebook blunders that ended in arrest.  Some of the most head-shaking include a photo of a baby with his mouth on a bong, a photo essay of a couple capturing, grilling, and eating a rare iguana, and a hitman who was busted thanks to his penchant for Facebook chat.  It appears that stupidity and notoriety compliment each other quite nicely.