Portsmouth car break-ins come as owners skate at Strawbery Banke rink: What to know
PORTSMOUTH — Police are warning residents to be extra vigilant after a series of car break-ins recently at Strawbery Banke Museum.
Four to five cars were hit in the Strawbery Banke parking lot while the owners were using the Puddle Dock Pond outdoor skating rink on the museum grounds, according to Deputy Police Chief Michael Maloney.
“All had their windows smashed and all had valuables taken,” Maloney said Wednesday.
The crimes could result in the loss of "upward of several thousand dollars," he said.
Felony Lane Gang involvement in crimes suspected
Maloney said it's possible the crimes were committed by members of an organized criminal crew of women and men called the Felony Lane Gang. The group operates up and down the East Coast, he said.
“We can’t say for sure it was them,” Maloney said. “I’d say given what we’ve seen regionally, it certainly could be, it is their m.o. (modus operandi), so to speak.”
The Felony Lane Gang often deploys women, primarily wearing disguises and wigs, to write checks to themselves after they’ve been stolen out of cars, as well as using stolen credit cards, Maloney said.
They are called the Felony Lane Gang because they cash the stolen checks at banks with a drive-thru and use the lane farthest away from the building, he said. That lane, he said, “is called the Felony Lane.”
Stolen cars reported in Portsmouth, too
There have been “two or three cars stolen over the last week and a half” in Portsmouth, Maloney said, adding they resulted from “online or Internet sales gone awry.”
This happens when someone selling a car meets a potential buyer and the buyer drives off on a “test ride” but never returns, Maloney said.
He offered advice to help people avoid being victimized by this crime.
“The front lot of the (Police Department) is always a great place to” meet for anyone who needs a safe place to conduct a private car sale, he said.
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What you should know about car break-ins
Maloney urged people to lock their doors, park in well-lit areas and not to leave valuables in view.
Typically once a checkbook or credit card is stolen, thieves are using it “within the hour,” Maloney said.
Members of the Felony Lane Gang have hit communities in greater Seacoast New Hampshire and southern Maine several times in the last few years, he said, adding they often drive rented cars and stay in motels.
The criminal crews are hard to track, he said.
“Criminals take great lengths to conceal their identity,” Maloney said. “Someone in Portsmouth today could be in Virginia tomorrow.”
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Women are often targeted by Felony Lane Gang
The Felony Lane Gang often targets women who have parked at day care facilities, parks and fitness centers, according to police.
The teams of thieves often recruit “prostitutes, homeless, and drug addicts to assist with cashing checks,” according to Durham police.
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Durham police Sgt. John Lavoie said the town has been targeted previously by Felony Lane Gang members. While none of the crimes have been recent, he said, the criminal crews represent “an ongoing significant problem through many states.”
“I think Portsmouth is an attractive place,” Maloney said, noting the city is close to Interstate 95 and other highways and there are many hotels.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth NH car break-ins at Strawbery Banke parking lot
