SUMTER, S.C. (CBS12) — A man who gained attention for commenting on a police department’s Facebook post about him is now facing criminal charges.
On December 18, the Sumter Police Department shared a photo of 26-year-old Robert Preston Lilze III with the caption, “HAVE YOU SEEN HIM?” The post stated that Lilze was “wanted for questioning related to the fraudulent use of a financial transaction card.”
In a surprising twist, a person claiming to be Lilze commented multiple times on the post, seemingly denying any wrongdoing. One comment read, “Happy holidays and remember these police just want me for questioning. Ask ‘em where the warrants are,” followed by a laughing emoji. The post quickly went viral, drawing over 6,300 comments and 5,100 shares.
However, on Friday, the Sumter Police Department announced that Lilze had been arrested. He faces charges including financial transaction card theft, financial transaction card fraud, and possession of a controlled substance.
Lilze appeared in court on Saturday, where a judge set his bond at $50,000, along with house arrest and monitoring conditions. Since his arrest, there have been no further comments from the person claiming to be Lilze on the police department’s post.