5 Craziest Crimes of 2014

Our end-of-the-year favorites prove crime never pays—and stays online forever
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 26, 2014 5:29 AM CST
Updated Dec 26, 2014 3:11 PM CST
5 Craziest Crimes of 2014
A photo provided by the Denver District Attorney’s Office shows Michael Whitington with a broad, toothy smile and eyes open wide after his Sept. 23, 2014, arrest in Denver.   (Denver District Attorney’s Office)

Old acquaintance should not be forgot, especially not when it comes to the folks who've allegedly committed the dumbest, weirdest, face-palmiest crimes of the year. Here are 2014's best—or worst, depending how you look at it—crazy crimes, in five categories that have more than a few entrants.

  • ONLINE FAILS: Woman Arrested Thanks to Unflattering Facebook Pic (October): A 34-year-old Ohio woman was hit with aggravated-robbery and kidnapping charges all thanks, in part, to an unflattering Facebook photo. After Monica Hargrove allegedly robbed a friend and left her stranded in the street, a warrant was issued for her arrest, and Columbus Police posted a mugshot of Hargrove on its Facebook page. Hargrove didn't like the pic—and what police said she did next goes down in the annals of narcissistic numbskullery. (Runner-up and No. 3.)
  • WEDDINGS GONE WRONG: Groom Hits on Pregnant Server, Brawl Ensues (September): A wedding bash on a Pittsburgh boat went terribly wrong, ending with the arrests of an off-duty state trooper, a local school board member, and the groom himself. The reported reason for the chaos: Newlywed Mark Williams, 33, allegedly hit on a waitress and tried to pour liquor down her throat—even though she told him she was pregnant. And there are crazier details still. (Runner-up and No. 3.)

  • PUTTING THE 'DUH' IN DUI: Driver Mistook Jail for Someplace Else (October): A Michigan woman didn't have far to go after her arrest on drunk-driving charges. Officers say the 39-year-old was in the Van Buren County Jail's parking lot when her BAC clocked in at more than twice the legal limit—because she mistook the building for a much, much different locale. (Runner-up and No. 3.)
  • NOISE VIOLATION: Man Jailed Over Loud Sex (April): There's a noisy romp between the sheets and then there's sex so loud it's considered "stalking" your neighbors. That was the charge an Italian man apparently faced in court, after a dozen of his neighbors filed a civil suit complaining of his loud lovemaking sessions. They took issue with "screams and moans" that "disturbed the peace in the condominium and the building’s decorum." The man's not-exactly-modest claim about his lovemaking skills didn't help things. (Runner-up and No. 3.)
  • SMILE PRETTY FOR YOUR POLICE PORTRAIT: Bank Robbery Suspect Makes the Most of His Mugshot (September): You're never fully dressed without a smile, even if you're in jail garb. At least, that seemed to be 45-year-old Michael Whitington's philosophy after he got his pic taken for posterity by police after they say he robbed a Denver bank. His crime may have been a bit run-of-the-mill, but not his mugshot. (Runner-up and No. 3.)
Click to see all of 2014's crazy crimes. (More weird crimes stories.)

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