LSP Arrests Suspected “Felony Lane Gang” Members

Three suspected “Felony Lane Gang” members have been arrested and linked to recent thefts in St. Tammany Parish. Troopers arrested Vanessa Fisher (39) of Boerne, TX, David Heller Jr. (24) of Ft. Lauderdale, FL and Latoj Banks (25) of West Palm Beach, FL. on charges of No Seat Belt, Possession of Marijuana, Conspiracy to Commit Theft, Conspiracy to Commit Burglary and Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud.
A Louisiana State Police Trooper stopped the three for a seat-belt violation in Jefferson Parish and detected inconsistencies that led to a vehicle search. The search found 11 driver’s licenses (from Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Colorado and Illinois, 22 credit cards, 5 checkbooks, 3 social security cards, nearly $12,500 in cash, 40 grams of marijuana, 3 window rescue punchers (used to punch out vehicle windows), and 14 various styles of women’s wigs.
The US Secret Service Financial Crimes Task Force was notified and Detectives from LSP, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene.
The “Felony Lane Gang” is a disorganized group of criminals from South Florida that break into vehicles parked at health clubs, parks and day-care centers. They surveil people at those locations and target vehicles they believe contain purses or other items of value. They utilize a “smash and grab” technique with window rescue punchers. The group uses females to go to banks while disguised as the victims, then cash checks stolen from another burglary against the victims’ bank accounts.
Detectives are working with other agencies both in Louisiana and out of state in an effort to link these suspects to other theft and bank fraud cases. Additional criminal charges are forthcoming in several jurisdictions.