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Prosecutors say accused drug dealer Alex Sifford, 19, posted photos to Instagram after pretrial in his case last month that mocked the court, prosecutors and police.

(Gus Chan, The Plain Dealer)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An accused drug dealer who police say peddled cocaine on Craigslist spent a night in jail recently after court officials learned he posted photos and mocked and disparaged them on the social networking site Instagram.

Assistant County Prosecutor John P. Colan on Tuesday asked a judge to reconsider the motion filed last month to revoke 19-year-old Alex Sifford's bond based on the posts, which appear to have been taken as he waited at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center for a pretrial in his case.

Colan said Sifford has a propensity for violence and carrying firearms. In 2012, he shot and killed one person and wounded another during a robbery at his house but was not charged because the "castle doctrine" was applied in his case, according to Colan's motion.

Colan said the photos, which contained profane gestures and, in some cases, firearms could be deemed as threats towards witnesses, prosecutors and judges.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Nancy Fuerst, after a hearing on the first motion to revoke Sifford's bond last month ordered that Sifford stay in jail for an evening.

Fuerst said she couldn't comment further because the case is still in front of her. It is set for trial later this month.

Sifford, reached on Twitter, also declined to comment.

Prosecutors say Alex Sifford posted photos to Instagram mocking the court, prosecutors and police. Some of the profanity has been cropped out of this post.

Some of the photos are "selfies" taken in Fuerst's courtroom in which a middle finger is extended toward the camera. Others show prosecutors, the judge and other court employees, with commentary that calls them "crucked."

In one, Sifford appears to be sitting at a defense table, extending his middle finger at the camera. He comments, "In court dey left me n his bitch by myself dey fishy."

Another photo prosecutors attached to their request to revoke Sifford's bond shows the 19-year-old and another man who is holding a gun. It is unclear when or where that photo was taken.

One of the courtroom photos was also posted to Craigslist along with unnamed threats to beat someone if they show up in the courtroom.

Sifford had asked Fuerst to consider allowing him to enter a special diversion program that would allow him to avoid a felony conviction. The charges against him include drug trafficking, drug possession and possession of criminal tools.

Fuerst ordered that Sifford be evaluated for the program but indicated during a recent hearing she wasn't inclined to grant him the opportunity. Prosecutors say Alex Sifford posted photos to Instagram mocking the court, prosecutors and police. Some of the profanity has been cropped out of this post.

According to court records, Sifford is accused of posting an advertisement to Craigslist involving the sale of drugs. An undercover Cleveland police officer responded to the advertisement in January and bought cocaine from Sifford on East 152 Street and St. Clair Avenue, according to an indictment.

Sifford is familiar to Cuyahoga County prosecutors. He was a witness in a 2012 aggravated murder case after he shot and killed one of two men who tried to rob him and his friends in a Waterbury Avenue home in Lakewood.

In that case, Sifford, then 17, shot and killed 17-year-old Charles Wilson with a .38-caliber handgun.

Fredrick Burt, 32, who was with Wilson during the attempted robbery was found guilty in August of 2012 of felony murder, as well as aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, kidnapping and having weapons while under disability.