14 DAY TRIAL // Depree Johnson is a 19-year-old from Lake Worth, Florida who appears to have a deep passion for firearms, felony and bragging about them on the Internet. It may seem the man doesn't really understand the fact that photos showing public criminal acts are more likely to get you in jail.
After noticing the photo Depree posted on Instagram, investigators decided to pay him a visit. The man's rap sheet already stated convictions for grand theft, burglary and illegal possession of firearms, and the photo of him and his friend flashing some guns in what seems to be a kitchen didn't really help his case.
Detectives from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office were actually investigating Johnson's possible involvement in a series of burglaries when they were looking at his Instagram account, according to The Smocking Gun. The photo was just enough to start a search in the young felon's home that led officers to the exact proof they needed.
During the search, police officers found stolen firearms and numerous pieces of jewelry that led to Depree Johnson's arrest. The man was sent to a county jail on 142 criminal counts according to The Smocking Gun. The man was a lead suspect in many active investigations and this particular findings helped close a few of them.
Police officers have been using social media sites to bust felons for a while now, after proving to be very efficient. Earlier this month Fremont police posted a video of a burglary online to ask citizens for tips on YouTube and Facebook. In just a few hours, the video had more than a dozen replies that led to the arrest of the main suspect.
Other similar cases involve 2 underage girls that robed a restaurant with kitchen knives and snapped a quick photo just moments before committing the crime. The incriminating picture helped police prove their involvement and sent one of them to a juvenile correction facility.
Committing a crime and compromising yourself with a photo of the act is not really the best way to express a gangster attitude, a dangerous behavior or something of the sort. If movies have taught us anything is that the best felons are the ones that don't brag about their success.