Life can be hard sometimes, but one thing that really brings me joy is writing about stupid criminals.

The truth is that most crooks aren't that bright. The master criminal planning the cunning heist exists, but I'm not entirely convinced there aren't more of them in television and movies than in real life.

Instead, we get the really clever ones who use their electric bill to write a hold-up note to hand to the bank teller.

Or, and this happens more often than is good for humanity, you get gun thieves who post the guns on Facebook.

Streetsboro police say a photo posted to the department's Facebook page shows two Streetsboro teens holding guns they allegedly stole.

The photo, posted Wednesday, is several months old and connected to a crime in which the pair was charged.

Police Lt. Richard Polivka said Thursday morning that the weapons have been stored in the department's evidence room since April. He said at least one of the boys, both now 16, decided to post the photo the day before classes were to begin for the district.

...

The post included one photo, and there were no overt threats, Polivka said. After Streetsboro police consulted with the prosecutor's office, no charges will be filed.

"It might be legal for them to post the photo, but it's probably not the best idea to go post it," he said.

The boys were charged in April with first-degree felony robbery and third-degree felony theft and tampering with evidence in connection with the alleged theft of the two guns the boys can be seen holding in the photo, as well as a third gun.

Police were tipped off by a concerned citizen who saw the post in question and alerted the police.

Because these were minors who couldn't get a gun in the first place.

Well, the citizen may have freaked because guns and figured the kids were planning a school shooting when they were only more pedestrian criminal numbskulls.

I cannot imagine in this day and age, when we constantly hear about everyone and their brother monitoring every electronic network out there, what possesses someone to post a photograph of themselves with stolen guns, particularly when they're underage in the first place? I get that some people share way too much on social media, but seriously?

Of course, stupid criminals make life easier for law enforcement, so there's that. They've got a lot going on so I'm sure they appreciate their jobs being made as easy as possible.

And no, I'm not worried about one of these would-be criminals reading this and getting ideas to avoid being caught. I'm not worried because it would involve them seeking out material to read, which I can guarantee you they won't do.

So the next batch of numbskulls will do something illegal, then compound that stupidity with the stupidity of making it as easy on law enforcement as they possibly can. They'll post their loot on Facebook to try to impress people who don't actually care all that much, then lead police right to their door, and if they had a lick of sense, they wouldn't.

I don't thank God for stupid criminals nearly enough, because they always bring a smile to my face.