It appears a new gang of thieves has made its way to Owensboro / Daviess County.
Captain Bill Thompson with the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office told Owensboro Living this morning about a recent case where a woman went to pick up her child at daycare and left her purse in the front seat with the car running. When she came back out, her purse was gone.
The woman canceled her credit cards, but the thief was able to hack into her account and withdrew $3,200 total from three different bank branches in Louisville.
Owensboro Police worked a similar case, and there was another one in Bowling Green.
After talking with bank security in Louisville as Thompson was working his case, he discovered all these cases fit a gang of thieves known as the “Felony Lane Gang” which targets women in locations like daycares where they might leave the car unlocked briefly. They use stolen checkbooks, bank cards, and drivers licenses to make withdrawals.
“It’s a simple plan, but it’s also a sophisticated technique because they’ll make split withdrawals so they can see the balance of the account and empty it later,” Thompson explained.
The Felony Lane Gang originated in Fort Lauderdale, FL. It appears they are recruiting new members and spreading into other areas around the country. Thompson says there has been an arrest made in Louisville by detectives working a case there. After this string of similar cases in Louisville, Bowling Green, and now Owensboro, “We think they’re here now,” Thompson said.
Captain Thompson offers this advice for parents, especially mothers:
- Most importantly, lock your doors to your car, even if you’re going to run inside for just a second.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Secure your purse and other valuables out of sight in a glove compartment, under the seat, or locked in the trunk.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 270-687-8484.
