26 Feb 2013
Over the past few days, reports have surfaced concerning the presence in central Texas of a Florida crime ring, known as the Felony Lane Gang. While it sounds like something out of the movies, the gang is real. Its operations apparently center, at least in the first instance, on motor vehicle theft. The way it works, according to police, is that the thieves steal a rental car using stolen identification, tint the windows, and replace the license plates with phonies. They then use the stolen vehicles to locate potential victims. Authorities say that the targets include people in Austin and Cedar Park. Once they locate a potential victim, they gain access just after the owner leaves his or her vehicle. Along with the vehicle, the gang members end up with whatever else might be inside. They also allegedly target women in parks and those running errands at local shops and malls, looking for purses and wallets left in unlocked vehicles. They are able in that way to steal driver’s licenses, credit cards, check books, and even social security cards. The scheme is then brought full circle, as the new documents are used to rent another vehicle under the name of a prior victim, and the rental car is used to scout for new prospects. Related activities, such as cashing the checks that have been stolen, are also involved. Last week the APD says they arrested a member of the group, who is a Florida resident and who was driving a Florida rental car. When they searched the man’s hotel room – you guessed it – they found credit cards, licenses, social security cards and check books. Texas, like many jurisdictions, has enacted a significant number of laws in an attempt to punish organized criminal activity, including activities by gangs and their members. And while this gang appears to be moving its operations across the country, arrests, such as the one by the Austin police last week, are on the increase. Convictions are also being obtained, including a number in Nebraska, which last month landed two of the defendants in prison for at least a couple of years. The cross-country movement of the group is unusual, and thus far has allowed the members to continue their activities preying on unsuspecting victims. On the other hand, public awareness will hopefully reduce the opportunities for these gangs.
Law Office of David D. White, PLLC 1205 Rio Grande Street Austin, TX 78701 (512) 369-3737