× Three Florida men arrested in connection with ‘felony lane gang’ activity in St. Tammany Parish 
 
 COVINGTON, La. (WGNO) – Three men arrested over the weekend in Florida have been tied to “felony lane gang” car burglaries in St. Tammany Parish. 
 
 Thomas Hankerson, 25, Corey Hall, 22, and Cedric Camper, 18, all of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, were apprehended in Tallahassee, Florida, Friday. 
 
 The three men have been linked to at least five of the recent car burglaries in St. Tammany Parish. 
 
 The arrests came after St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s detectives tied the three to at least five of the recent car burglaries that have been occurring in St. Tammany Parish over the past couple of weeks. 
 
 The sheriff’s office said the term “felony lane gang” was originally used to describe criminals who would target the drive-through lane at the bank that was the farthest from the tellers to help hide their identity. Since then, the term has been adapted to describe crime scenes that are in high traffic areas but farthest from possible witnesses. 
 
 They will often break the vehicles’ windows and steal the valuables that are in plain sight. 
 
 Detectives traced the suspects to Florida after one of them allegedly used a stolen credit card. Detectives are now working to determine if these three are responsible for other similar crimes that occurred in recent months in St. Tammany and surrounding areas. 
 
 The sheriff’s office said last week that deputies were working at least 10 “felony lane gang” cases this year. ||||| Thieves are hitting cars in Rockland and Bergan Counties and police it may be the work of a gang whose members commit the same crimes nationwide. Brian Thompson reports. (Published Thursday, April 28, 2016) 
 
 Police departments in New York and New Jersey said that a nationwide smash-and-grab gang might have moved into the region to pilfer from cars and steal women’s purses. 
 
 Police in Rockland and Bergen counties have both issued alerts about the so-called “Felony Lane Gang,” a crime network that is supposedly active in at least 35 other states and targets purses and wallets left in cars to get bank cards and cash. 
 
 One Paramus, New Jersey, woman who asked to not be identified because she fears for her safety told NBC 4 New York believes that thieves with the syndicate shattered the window of her car as she took her daily walk with a friend. Witnesses told her the thieves ran out of a car with license plates from Massachusetts. 
 
 Paramus police were called to investigate after the smash-grab and determined that the robbery had the hallmarks of the gang. 
 
 Surveillance footage from a similar burglary attributed to the Felony Lane Gang in Massachusetts showed a man smash through the front window of an SUV before opening the door and stealing items from inside. 
 
 Thieves have also been blamed for thefts in Nanuet, New York. One woman, Lori Cowen, said that five cars at a little league baseball field were hit on Sunday. 
 
 Cowen said she’s not going to stop going to the park because of the thefts, but she is being more alert. 
 
 “We came back the next day and said we weren't going to let that stop us,” she said. 
 
 Representatives with the crime-fighting consulting firm Wynyard Group told NBC Washington earlier this month that the gang stakes out places like parks, shopping centers and day cares, then smashes windows to get at any purses and wallets before heading to the bank to try to cash checks or withdraw money. They often use the furthest lane out at a bank drive-thru in order to avoid detection. 
 
 Matt Melton, a senior consultant with the group, said the gang has been moving north from South Florida over the last 10 years. 
 
 "You take a step back and you realize it’s a national organization that’s costing Americans tens of millions of dollars," Melton said. 
 
 Police in Massachusetts said the sophisticated crime organization recruits members from across the nation. Even though they're brazen, they're hard to track down, police tell NECN. 
 
 "They use rental cars in various people's names. Oftentimes the females who are doing the check fraud may or may not be from the area, and if they are from the area, often they don't know the people they are working for -- maybe by first name or have limited contact information," Medway Police Det. Matthew Reardon told NECN. ||||| STATEWIDE (WGME) -- Multiple Maine police departments are alerting the public about the possible arrival of gang members to the area. 
 
 In separate Facebook posts on Monday, the Winslow, Bath and Yarmouth police departments described the "Felony Lane Gang" as a loosely organized group of criminals from Florida who break into cars and use the victim's driver's license, debit cards, credit cards and checks to make fraudulent transactions at local financial institutions. 
 
 "It is believed that these criminals have worked their way up through New England and into Maine, and have already used a local bank to carry out their crimes," Yarmouth Police wrote. 
 
 Bath Police say these criminals have been termed the Felony Lane Gang as they prefer to use the furthest drive up teller at financial institutions in an attempt to make their identification more difficult. 
 
 
 
 Yarmouth Police say they normally target gyms, parks, daycare centers, and sporting events likely to be frequented by women, to increase the chances of finding purses left in vehicles. 
 
 They then enter those vehicles through unlocked doors or by breaking a window of a locked vehicle. Police say they specifically look for identification such as driver licenses, checks and debit cards. 
 
 Once they have possession of the items, they use them to cash checks that are often stolen from cars in other jurisdictions, according to police. 
 
 Police say the Felony Lane Gang is also known to recruit local people who may resemble the victims to cash the checks, use rental cars with tinted windows and fake or stolen license plates that are removed shortly after they cash the checks, and wear wigs and other disguises in an attempt to resemble the person whose driver's license they are using. 
 
 Police are reminding the public to lock their vehicle doors and avoid leaving purses or other valuable items in visible sight. 
 
 "Do not confront these individuals and report all suspicious activity to the police," the post said. "Immediately report to the police if your license plate is stolen or your car is broken into." 
 
 The police also instructed victims to immediately report to their financial institution any theft of a driver's license, debit card, credit card or check. 
 
 Residents also were warned not to agree to cash checks for anyone they don't know personally and to contact police if asked to cash a check by a strange 
 
 The Felony Lane Gang has been active for several years and has already made millions by engaging in criminal activity nationwide, according to police. ||||| Police in Raymond are asking for the public's help with identifying a person who may be connected to the "Felony Lane Gang." 
 
 Officials said the culprit tried to cash stolen checks after a car break-in at the Raymond Shopping Center on April 24. 
 
 Surveillance cameras were able to capture an image of the thief. 
 
 The culprit could be wearing a wig as a disguise, according to police. 
 
 Anyone with information regarding the culprit's whereabouts is asked to contact police. 
 
 Share your breaking news photos with WMUR by emailing ulocal@wmur.com. Here are the latest breaking news photos and videos shared by you: ||||| BANGOR, Maine — The Winslow Police Department on Monday posted a Facebook alert about the possible arrival of the Felony Lane Gang in the area. 
 
 The Felony Lane Gang is a loosely organized group of criminals from Florida who break into cars and use the victim’s driver’s license, debit cards, credit cards and checks to cash checks at local financial institutions, Winslow police said. 
 
 “It is believed that these folks have worked their way up to Maine,” the post said. “These criminals have been termed the Felony Lane Gang, as they prefer to use the furthest drive-up teller at financial institutions in an attempt to make their identification more difficult.” 
 
 According to police, the group usually targets the cars of women who park at gyms, fitness centers, parks, day care centers and similar locations in search of driver’s licenses, debit cards and credit cards, which are used to cash checks that are often stolen from cars in other locations. Gang members also are known to recruit local people who resemble the victims to cash these checks. 
 
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 In addition, police said, the Felony Lane Gang often uses rental cars with tinted windows and fake or stolen license plates that are removed very shortly after they cash the checks. 
 
 The women who cash these checks often wear wigs and makeup in an attempt to resemble the person whose driver’s license they are using. 
 
 Residents are urged to lock their cars and to avoid leaving purses and other valuables inside. 
 
 “Do not confront these individuals and report all suspicious activity to the police,” the post said. “Immediately report to the police if your license plate is stolen or your car is broken into.” 
 
 The police also instructed victims to immediately report to their financial institution any theft of a driver’s license, debit card, credit card or check. 
 
 Residents also were warned not to agree to cash checks for anyone they don’t know personally and to contact police if asked to cash a check by a stranger. ||||| How often do you lock your car but leave a purse or something of value sitting on the front seat? Cornelius police say there’s a gang of thieves targeting people who do just that at local ball fields and parks. 
 
 Last Saturday, while kids were playing soccer and baseball nearby cars were being broken into. Investigators call the thieves the "Felony Lane Gang." 
 
 Investigators explained the name of the gang comes from how the thieves get cash with the stolen IDs and checks they take from parked cars. 
 
 Surveillance video from last Saturday shows three males in a rented SUV pull up and break into cars parked at Bailey Park. From close up photos taken from the video, you can see one of the thieves peer through the window to see if there is anything worth stealing in sight. 
 
 And that wasn’t the only park they hit Saturday. Cornelius police said their investigators have spoken with Huntersville police, and it appears these same men hit North Mecklenburg Park. 
 
 The reason investigators call them the "Felony Lane Gang" is what they do after stealing wallets. 
 
 “After they get the purses, they use the stolen identities and they recruit prostitutes, homeless people, drug addicts to dress up like the people in the stolen IDs. And they go through the furthest teller lane at the bank - the drive-thru lane - because they don’t want the teller to clearly get a good look at them,” said Sgt. Tracy Crosby of the Cornelius Police Department. “The banks coined the name the 'felony lane gang' because of the use of the outside lane.” 
 
 Investigators say the "felony lane" is that third bank lane. 
 
 “One of our victims, her check was cashed in Charlotte. They won’t use the same bank in the same town. They go all over,” Crosby said. 
 
 This pattern of behavior is seen all over the country. Sgt. Crosby said it’s been seen in 40 states, and there as many as 800 people doing it. 
 
 Bonnie Almond is a nanny. She was at Jetton Park Friday afternoon. 
 
 “I have never worried about my car being broken into while we’re at the park,” Almond said. 
 
 She was shocked when she learned about the Felony Lane Gang. 
 
 “Never heard of it, never heard of them,” she said. She added that she understands why they are successful. “Oh, my car is where I can see it, it’s fine. Nobody would do that while I’m sitting right here. Well, of course they would.” 
 
 Most of us ignore the signs coming into the parks saying H.A.B.I.T., which stands for "Halt Auto Break-Ins Today," but police urge you not to. Crosby recommends people bring their valuables with them or lock them in the trunk to keep them out of sight. 
 
 “Lock your stuff up. Don’t leave anything out in the open. Take the cards with you or don’t bring it at all,” Crosby said. He added you should be aware of your surroundings, and if you see something or are a victim to call 911. 
 
 A group on Facebook has been tracking the Felony Lane Gang. You can find that page here. 
 
 Based on their research, they say the thieves are specifically watching women dropping kids off at daycares and gyms. 
 
 Copyright 2016 WBTV. All rights reserved. ||||| 'Felony Lane Gang' targets cars with items left inside Local News 'Felony Lane Gang' targets cars with items left inside 
 
 - They are called the "Felony Lane Gang" and they target cars parked at daycare centers, malls and other public locations. Farmington Hills police believe they have struck again. 
 
 Cars broken into, and the crooks swipe purses left on the seat which helped create an organized national crime ring. 
 
 
 
 "They break into cars, smash in windows, take women's purses," said Det. Scott Rzeppa, Farmington Hills police. 
 
 The name of this group: The Felony Lane Gang. 
 
 "They are a group that comes up from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida," Rzeppa said. "They've been doing this for a few years now. They have come up and hit a lot of states throughout the country." 
 
 But it's not just taking purses that becomes a problem. 
 
 "Then they commit credit card fraud," Rzeppa said. 
 
 Assist. Police Chief Matt Koehn said that the gang isn't the only concern, and that local teens could also be attracted by residents leaving valuables in their vehicles. 
 
 And why are they called the felony Lane Gang? 
 
 "Because they use the farthest lane of the banks, which in the banking community is called the 'felony lane.' 
 
 The cops believe the Felony Lane Gang struck last month at Heritage Park in Farmington Hills. The cops have a description of a black male, wearing a redshirt and driving a maroon Jeep, with no registration on the vehicle. 
 
 If you see any kind of suspicious behavior around cars, Farmington police say to call them.
– Florida's "Felony Lane Gang" appears to have made its way up the East Coast. Multiple Maine police departments have been warning residents that the "loosely organized group of criminals" has arrived in the state. The gang breaks into cars, typically targeting women's cars parked at gyms, parks, daycare centers, and the like, where purses are more likely to be left behind. Members steal driver's licenses, debit cards, credit cards, and checkbooks, and then use those items—along with locals they find who look like the victims—to make purchases and cash checks, the Bangor Daily News reports. The Winslow PD warned residents in a Facebook post Monday not to leave purses or other valuables in their cars, and to report the incident to police if they are asked to cash a check for a stranger. “It is believed that these folks have worked their way up to Maine,” says the police post. Three male alleged members of the gang who were arrested in Florida Friday have also been tied to gang-related car burglaries in Louisiana over the past few weeks, WGNO reports. As for why law enforcement started calling the group the "Felony Lane Gang," police say they tend to use the use the bank drive-through lane farthest away from tellers (the "felony lane") when cashing checks in an effort to hide their identity. WGME reports that the gang has been active for a few years and has made millions from its criminal activity; indeed, recent articles from Oklahoma, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Michigan, New York, and New Jersey, and more detail the exploits.