Felony Lane Gang Strikes Around Bel Air: Report

BEL AIR, MD — Drivers should be extra careful that their valuables are not visible when they leave their cars behind around Bel Air and Forest Hill. Thieves have reportedly targeted cars at day care centers and the Ma & Pa Trail in the past two weeks, breaking windows to grab items before leaving.

The criminals are part of the Felony Lane Gang, according to ABC 2 News, which reported they usually roll up to a parking lot in a vehicle with out-of-state tags, steal purses and other valuables then use the victims' credit cards.

The Felony Lane Gang is a group based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that breaks into vehicles, takes checkbooks and driver's licenses, then goes to the bank to withdraw money, according to the FBI.

Posing as the people whose wallets they have just lifted and often wearing disguises, they travel in the lane furthest from the teller at the bank drive-through to withdraw money. This lane is "dubbed the 'felony lane' because of the ease with which false identities can be used to cash checks," according to the FBI.

The Felony Lane Gang tends to hit gyms, parks, churches or community centers. Its members reportedly watch women in particular as they leave their vehicles.

Parents are being reminded to lock their car doors, ABC 2 News reported this week, after one day care was struck twice in 10 days in what the news station said was a "mini crime wave" attributed to the gang.

The Felony Lane Gang was active in Harford County in 2015, Patch previously reported. At that time, the Harford County Sheriff's Office installed signs near the Ma & Pa Trail reminding people to take their valuables with them.

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