Thieves caught after posting pictures posing with stolen cars on facebook

Authorities in England have jailed a pair
of brazen thieves who they say
displayed expensive stolen goods on
Facebook.
A judge last week sentenced Matthew
Murphy, 23, and Jonathan Dougan, 26, to
nine years and four months behind bars
for a series of thefts across the Greater
Manchester area, The Manchester
Evening News reports.
The pair reportedly pleaded guilty to 14
thefts that were committed between
November 2012 and June 2013.
The thieves' downfall began in June
2013, when someone alerted the owner
of a stolen KTM motorcycle that Dougan
posted a photo of himself posing with
the stolen item on Facebook.
The owner tipped off police and
investigators launched a six-month
police investigation, codenamed
"Operation Exmoor."
Investigators said Murphy and Dougan
posted nearly 50 photos of themselves
online with stolen items, including a
Triumph Bonneville motorcycle and a
Mercedes 'A' Class and a Mercedes
E820.
In addition to the Facebook photos,
investigators assembled other evidence
in the case, including images they
recovered from Murphy and Dougan's
cellphones.
At the time of Murphy and Dougan's
arrest, they were on parole for a
previous robbery. A condition of their
parole prohibited the two from having
contact with each other, The Mirror
reported.
In one instance, police say the men stole
a Honda Accord belonging to two cancer
patients. Authorities later found the
vehicle wrapped around a tree — an
accident that reportedly
occurred following a 70mph police
chase.
Manchester Crown Court Judge David
Hernandez addressed the young men's
apparent arrogance at their Feb. 20
sentencing hearing.
He said they glamorized their crimes
and "blighted the lives" of their victims.
"You took great pleasure in committing
those crimes," Hernandez said,
according to The Express.
The Daily Mail reported a third man,
Daniel Breeze, 19, admitted to
conspiracy to steal in connection with
the thefts and is due to be sentenced
next month.