Illinois authorities raided a home and confiscated computers and phones to find out who was behind a fake Twitter account of Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis, the Fort Mill Times reported.
The raid was performed on Tuesday even though the account was deleted weeks ago. Three people were transported from the home for police questioning and two others were detained at their workplaces.
Though no arrests have been made related to the account, one person was arrested for possession of marijuana, the Peoria Star Journal said.
According to Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard, authorities are investigating the account as a possible case of impersonating a public official -- a crime punishable by up to one year in prison and/or a fine up to $2,500.
Michelle Pratt, 27, was in the shower when officers arrived at the home.
"They brought me in like I was a criminal," Pratt said.
The fake account, @Peoriamayor, was created in late February or early March. It included a photo of Ardis, his official email address, and a bio.
While there are many fake and parody accounts of celebrities and public figures, this Twitter account caught the eye of police after it made tweets referencing sex and drugs.
On March 10, the bio was updated to clarify it was a parody account. It had 50 followers and followed just as many others.
"A parody means it's fake. It was even listed as fake," Pratt said. "It was a joke Twitter account, and they searched the whole house."
However, Settingsgaard shared a different opinion on the matter.
"I don't agree it was obvious, and in fact it appears that someone went to great lengths to make it appear it was actually from the mayor," Settingsgaard said in an email.
Ardis has not commented on the account or the investigation.