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The two men, Joshua Mallory, age 37, and Gary Grier, age 36, both of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, Dec. 20 to being part of the multi-state "Felony Lane Gang," a fraud scheme involving suspects breaking into cars and stealing debit cards and checkbooks, according to the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York.
Between 2015 and 2020, Mallory, Grier, and several co-conspirators traveled across the country breaking into vehicles and stealing debit and credit cards, checkbooks, and photo IDs, often targeting the cars of women parked at daycares, fitness centers, and parks. The suspects would then use the stolen items to create fictitious documents and recruit women to impersonate the victims of these thefts and fraudulently withdraw money from banks, according to the US Attorney's Office.
The impersonators would often be paid in narcotics for their role in the scheme, officials said.
Both men were caught with the help of the Putnam County Sheriff's Department, which investigated several larcenies and bank fraud incidents throughout the county connected to the scheme going back to 2018, Captain Michael Grossi said.
Overall, Mallory and Grier admitted that together they stole at least $95,000 from victims. They both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, and face up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Mallory will be sentenced on Monday, May 1, and Grier will be sentenced on Wednesday, April 19, according to the US Attorney's Office.
They are two of nine men charged in connection with the fraud scheme, officials said. The other seven men include:
- Keyshawn Arnold, age 25, of Schenectady;
- Terrell McDonald, age 32, of Troy;
- Tyrone Parker, age 40, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
- Tyrone Parker, Jr., age 22, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
- Randall Taylor, age 37, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
- Cedric Lynch, age 37, of Orlando, Florida;
- Robert Natson, age 36, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Arnold, McDonald, and Parker have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme. The rest are scheduled for trial in federal court in Syracuse on Tuesday, Jan. 24.
In addition to the Putnam County Sheriff's Department, the investigation is also being assisted by the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, and the Greenburgh Police Department, among other New York police departments.
Additionally, police departments in numerous states are also assisting with the investigation, including departments in New York, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Montana, New Hampshire, and Utah.
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