WASHINGTON COUNTY, Wis. - Two Fort Lauderdale, Florida men were arrested after a series of Addison car break-ins Saturday, June 10.
According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the men are believed to have been involved in similar thefts at a Dodge County church earlier that same day. They are being held at the Washington County Jail.
The men were arrested after a deputy spotted their car, which matched a possible suspect vehicle and had illegal window tint.
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The sheriff’s office said the men had multiple credit cards and IDs belonging to victims from across the country. Evidence shows they were in Denver two days before the Addison break-ins.
‘Felony Lane Gang’
According to the sheriff’s office, a similar trend nationwide is often attributed to the "Felony Lane Gang" – an organized crime gang based out of Fort Lauderdale.
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The sheriff’s office said the gang is named for using the bank drive-thru lanes farthest from the window to avoid detection. The gang has been known to recruit people from across the country for "smash and grab" thefts from parked cars.
Smash and grab thefts target cash, checks and other personal ID cards – which are then used to make fraudulent transactions.