For years the Felony Lane Gang has targeted women, stealing their purses and IDs. But Facebook and other social media is helping the FBI fight back.
On July 17, 2018, a detective in Toledo reviewed the Facebook page of a woman named Makeia Stewart, who had posted photos on her page that raised eyebrows. One of them was of her and Smith – who was caught on bank surveillance video that same day in Southgate, trying to cash a $1,000 check using a stolen license.The next day, Smith was arrested outside a fast food restaurant in Toledo while entering a Kia Sorento with two other men.
Smith was among these impersonators and collected about $150 per stolen check she successfully cashed – a role her lawyer said was minor compared to the others. A third woman, Anita Becerra, who the FBI says was part of the same cell and admitted to impersonating women to cash stolen checks, was charged on Jan. 13 in a document known as an information, which typically means a defendant has agreed to cut a deal rather than go to trial, and is cooperating.
Sometimes, police note, it's hard to catch Felony Lane Gang members, given their tactics: High speed chases are their mode of operation because they know most police will decide to end the chase in the interest of public safety.When the Felony Lane Gang first surfaced a decade ago, the cases initially were handled as individual burglaries.
About 5½ years ago, the Felony Lane Gang Task Force was formed, with a goal of helping police catch the thieves and eventually wipe out the organization. It was started by victims, and has since been supported by Crimestoppers and local police departments across the country who share wanted photos of suspected Felony Lane Gang members on the group's Facebook page.
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