BOZEMAN — The Felony Lane Gang is a group known for breaking into cars, stealing checks, and identification, and draining people's bank accounts. Bozeman police Capt. Dana McNeill says the gang of thieves originated in Florida but has now spread to Montana.
“We have ongoing issues in the community with this gang,” said McNeil.
The criminal gang targets individuals across the country, stealing from vehicles, committing identity theft, fraud, and forgeries. Members of the gang will reportedly steal mail and identification information and use victims’ IDs and credit cards to commit more crimes.
Once items are stolen, gang members find a third party to actually go to the banks and cash the checks. The most recent suspected third party is Ryan Lane of Bozeman.
Lane was arrested on Sept. 6 after police say he cashed thousands of dollars with stolen checks at area banks. He is charged with two counts of theft and appeared before a judge on Wednesday.
The investigation as to how Lane got his hands on the checks is ongoing. McNeil advises people not to leave any form of identification in their car.
"These thefts can happen anywhere,” said McNeil. “We see them often at trail heads because that's when people leave all their stuff in their car when they go for a hike.”
Law enforcement encourages anyone who suspects their vehicle may have been unlawfully entered, even if no theft occurred, to contact the Bozeman Police Department or the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.
