San Diego Criminal Attorneys Blog

Threats, even if jokingly made, on social sites such as Twitter, Facebook or Myspace can land you in hot water and charged with a crime. This is not a local story but I feel that the outcome and severity of statements made like these are very real and severe. I anticipate that prosecution for internet threats will increase dramatically in the near future! So beware what you post!

Paul Chambers, at the age of 26, made a post on Twitter stating that if his flight was delayed by the snow then he would blow up an Airport. Mr. Chambers insisted that the post he made was only a joke and that he would never blow up an airport. However, the judge found him guilty because he conveyed an offensive, indecent and obscene message over a public telecommunications networking site.

This message is important not only for Twitter, but for Facebook, Myspace, and every other public communication website, in which the message can be read by millions. Luckily, Mr. Chambers was only fined $1,500 dollars instead of time in jail for making such threats against the airline. But please know that these websites have detailed policies, and the things that you post or say on these sites can and will be used against you, especially if they are conveying messages of offensive or indecent meaning. Likewise, if you are contacted by a site investigator concerning a post do not make any statement to them without an experienced attorney.

British man convicted for Twitter bomb 'threat' ,North County Times May 11, 2010

Internet and computer crimes are on the rise! In San Diego County local law enforcement officers and a special task force raided several internet cafe's including one in Oceanside that allegedly offered its customers illegal gambling.

Oceanside police officers served a search warrant on Lucky Bob's Internet Cafe on Friday June 26, 2009 on Mission Ave. In San Diego other locations raided were Cafe Hong Hung, Phnom Penh Video, '08 Wireless, and Cafe 2000.The Attorneys General's news release claims the small businesses were operating slot machines and computer gaming which are computer crimes.

Lucky Bob's advertised that their patrons could win more than eighteen thousand dollars in "instant cash sweepstakes." Oceanside police did not arrest anyone at Lucky Bob's but did confiscate gambling equipment. However, in San Diego, police arrested two people and seized more than $11,000.00.

The investigation began in early June when undercover agents would pose as internet cafe customers and played various Las Vegas type games on computers. The evidence and information the investigators gathered most likely established the "probable cause" for the search warrants used during the raids.

OCEANSIDE: Internet cafe's games may be illegal, North County Times, May 19, 2009