"Operation Felony Lane" Uncovers Alleged Fla. ID Theft Scheme

It was an inside job that delivered sensitive consumer account information to members of a purported identity theft ring, say federal investigators in South Florida. Among six people arrested for crimes including “stealing identities, cashing forged checks, using stolen credit cards and recruiting others to do the same” was a BankAtlantic branch teller, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. Members of the group have been charged with crimes including bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.  Four others who’ve been named in the 21-count indictment, including a title company employee, had not yet been arrested as of Nov. 20.


The BankAtlantic teller allegedly accessed customer bank accounts and identification information, and passed it along to ring members, according to the South Florida Business Journal.  Additionally, the title company employee, who had access to Accurint and Equifax databases, “is alleged to have obtained Social Security numbers and Florida driver’s license numbers for the others to use in committing bank fraud,” the publication reports.

Investigators call the crackdown “Operation Felony Lane,” an operation that spanned three counties. According to the Business Journal, various agencies began investigating the fraud ring as early as November 2004.


Unfortunately, if these allegations are true, it won’t be the first time an insider at a financial institution betrayed the trust given them for the sake of criminal enterprise. What’s in store for those allegedly involved? “If convicted of the conspiracy to commit bank fraud or bank fraud charges, the defendants face up to 30 years in prison. The defendants also face a mandatory two-year consecutive sentence on each count of aggravated identity theft, and five years for identity theft,” the Business Journal reports.