Facebook critic or criminal? Cleveland County Sheriff’s fiercest skeptic calls arrest retaliation

A social media critic of the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) is out on bond after his arrest Wednesday, adding another twist to a yearlong saga of controversy, legal battles, and accusations surrounding Sheriff Chris Amason.

Released from Jail

Michael Reynolds, the previously anonymous operator of the Facebook page Wilder News (facebook.com/WilderNews), posted a $4,000 bond and walked out of the Cleveland County Detention Center around 6 p.m.

“The incident was a little wild,” Reynolds said upon his release. “I definitely feel retaliated against.”

The arrest, he believes, was an attempt to shift attention away from the bigger, ongoing issues in the county.

“I feel like I was used as a pawn to help them get closer to other political figures in the county," Reynolds explained.

He immediately retained an attorney and is expected to appear in court next month. However, as of Wednesday evening, his misdemeanor case was no longer visible in online court records. The reason for its removal remains unclear, and we are working to determine what this means for his legal proceedings.

Dramatic Arrest at Work

Reynolds, a security officer for Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS), was taken into custody at work around 9 a.m. Wednesday by an Oklahoma City Police officer executing the warrant.

“The district is cooperating with law enforcement and will also conduct a full internal administrative investigation related to this case,” said OKCPS Director of Communications Crystal Raymond. “As this is a personnel matter, we cannot provide further comment.”

Court records confirm the case does not involve the school district or Reynolds’ role there.

Initially booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center, Reynolds was later transferred to the Cleveland County Detention Center—the same facility he has frequently criticized for its rising inmate death toll under Amason’s leadership.

Allegations Against Reynolds

CCSO claims Reynolds’ Facebook posts went beyond criticism and into criminal territory. Authorities allege he shared publicly available court records containing the home addresses of Amason and a deputy involved in a December 2024 crash. The warrant also suggests some of Reynolds’ posts contained leaked internal CCSO reports.

Sheriff Amason did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Did Reynolds Cross the Line?

The case revolves around multiple posts in which Reynolds shared public court documents, including a lawsuit accusing Sheriff Amason of defaulting on a $40,000 personal loan while his office simultaneously faced financial strain.

Amason declined to comment on the lawsuit. The investigation, led by his deputies, suggests that by sharing these records—along with leaked reports—Reynolds engaged in doxing, the act of publishing private information online with potentially harmful intent.

The warrant also states that Reynolds posted details about a deputy who allegedly crashed her patrol car into a parked vehicle and a brick mailbox in Yukon. The deputy reported the crash to a supervisor, who handled it internally. Reynolds criticized the handling of the incident and posted the crash report on his Facebook page.

CCSO claims his actions put the deputy at risk, stating in the warrant:

“The defendant used a computer network to disseminate identifying information of a peace officer, knowing it could place them at risk.”

Investigators also noted that Reynolds does not present his page as “satire” rather a news source, often tagging media outlets such as KWTV NEWS9 to gain wider coverage.

Criticism or Retaliation?

Reynolds’ Wilder News page persistently posts about:

1. The rising number of deaths at the Cleveland County Detention Center
2. Budget disputes between the sheriff and county leaders
3. An ongoing forensic audit into allegations of financial mismanagement at CCSO
4. The independent investigation into jail conditions
5.  

Sheriff Amason Under Scrutiny

Sheriff Amason is facing increasing criticism for his management of the Cleveland County Detention Center, where inmate deaths have surged. In response, the Board of Cleveland County Commissioners hired Simco Correctional Consulting to conduct an independent audit to address safety concerns.

The audit remains ongoing, and Reynolds has been one of its most vocal critics, regularly sharing court records, documents, and insider reports about jail conditions that he’s now seen for himself.

His arrest raises questions about whether law enforcement is drawing the line between criticism and criminal activity—or erasing it entirely.

What’s Next for Reynolds? 

Before Reynolds’ criminal misdemeanor case was apparently removed from OSCN, the online record reflected :

1. 2 Counts of Violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act
2. 2 Counts of Using an Electronic Communication Device to Publish, Post, and Make Publicly Available Information Identifying a Peace Officer, Public Official or Crime Victim

With the case recently removed from online court records, there are several questions regarding how his legal proceedings will unfold.

Related: Cleveland County Sheriff Faces New Financial Troubles Amid Budget, Jail Safety Scrutiny

Inmate Death: Autopsy Confirms Makeshift Noose Used Despite Scrutiny of Cleveland County Jail