Police have been known to use social media like Facebook and Twitter to track down thieves (the IRS, too), and careless Facebooking can quickly get you arrested. But if you're on the run from the law, there's another online territory you might want to consider avoiding: World of Warcraft.

Howard County, Indiana Sheriff Department Deputy Matt Roberson tracked down fugitive Alfred Hightower via the hugely popular massively multiplayer online game. Hightower was wanted on several counts of drug dealing but had fled the country to Canada.

After finding out Hightower was a WoW fan, Roberson sent a subpoena to the game's maker, Blizzard Entertainment. With the information they sent back, Roberson was able to pinpoint the perp's location.

Hightower will be extradited back to the U.S. to face charges. Lesson learned: Virtual worlds don't make as ideal places to hide from the law as one might think!

[via Massively]

[img credit: davidsonscott15]