We recently warned you about dangers of social marketing including Facebook. While it is a great way to stay in touch with family and friends, your information is subject to monitoring by Federal Agents including the FBI.
According to The Sun, yesterday Italian police arrested Pasquale Manfredi, who was on Italy’s 100 most wanted list and who had been on the run for a year.
Police believe that Manfredi is tied to the murder of rival mobster Carmine Arena and Pasquale Tripadli. Italian officials were tipped off that Manfredi was a fan of Facebook and regularly logged on from his laptop.
Through the use of sophisticated electronic surveillance equipment in an operation code-named Pandora, officers located Manfredi at an apartment in Isola Capo Rizzuto near Crotone in Southern Italy.
The area where Manfredi was located is in the heartland of the local Mafia, known as the N’drangheta who have a reputation for their vicious violence and were responsible for the Duisburg Massacre two years ago where six mobsters were gunned down in a German pizzeria.
Manfredi logged on to Facebook under the name Georgie. Officers believe that Manfredi used Facebook to receive coded orders and to keep in touch with other mobsters.
Manfredi had more than 200 friends on his Facebook site. Police are investigating to see if any others are involved in Mafia activity or are wanted.
During the early morning raid yesterday Manfredi had tried to escape by climbing out of a window and running along roof tops but police were able to capture him.
An officer involved in the capture was quoted as saying, “Manfredi is a good catch. He is particular cold and cruel. We tracked him down because we had information he was using a key to log on to the Internet and in particular use Facebook.”
The criminal defense attorneys at the Strom Law Firm, L.L.C. include a former United States Attorney, a former public defender, a former Assistant Attorney General and Richland County Assistant Solicitor, as well as a tax lawyer familiar with IRS criminal investigations. The Strom Law Firm aggressively defends individuals on all criminal charges in all State and Federal Courts in South Carolina as well as the Federal Courts in Georgia. Our lawyers proudly edit the Columbia, South Carolina Injury Board as well as several other blogs as a pro bono effort to provide the public valuable information. Our lawyers are licensed in: South Carolina, New York, and Georgia