Update: Police Arrest Felony Lane Gang Members After Fiery Crash

By: 10/11 News

Updated: Thu 11:27 AM, Jun 28, 2012

Erica Martinez

Britney Baker

Jennifer Lumpkin

Erica Martinez and Britney Baker of Fort Lauderdale, FL and Jennifer Lumpkin of Tamarac, FL are facing charges for nine counts of felony forgery.

Police say Martinez Baker and Lumpkin attempted to pass nine stolen checks Monday at six banks throughout Lincoln for more than $19,000.

They say the attempted happened between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Public Safety Director Tom Casady says the Union Bank branch at 70th and Pioneers notified police when they became suspicious of a SUV in the drive through.

Casady says police were looking for fraud suspects who passed a forged check the day before.

Information, including a description of the SUV the suspects were driving, was sent to all area banks.

Casady says a teller noticed the SUV he was helping matched the description of the suspects SUV.

Officers spotted that SUV at 70th and Van Dorn. They began a pursuit but quickly terminated it at 70th and Holdrege when speeds reached 70 miles per hour.

Police say the Nebraska State Patrol picked up the chase.

Minutes later, the silver Equinox Martinez was driving slammed into a black SUV at 84th and Havelock.

Witnesses describe it as scary, terrifying and unbelievable. They say they were inches away from getting involved in the accident.

Witnesses tell 1011 a silver Equinox headed south on 84th smashed into a black SUV headed west on Havelock. They watched the silver SUV roll and go airborne.

The witnesses say they were lucky not to get hit, seconds later, it would have been their car demolished.

Police say the black SUV spun around and smashed into a pick-up.

Seconds after the crash, witnesses saw officers, guns drawn, approach the Equinox.

Martinez, Baker and Lumpkin were taken to the hospital, along with the drivers from both the black SUV and the pick up.

Injuries were not life threatening.

Police say the Equinox had two sets of license plates, one from Nebraska, the other from Tennessee.

The crash shut down 84th between Adams and Fletcher for more than three hours.

Police believe Martinez, Baker and Lumpkin may be connected to similar forgery crimes in Omaha, Minnesota, Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin and Oklahoma.

They are called the Felony Lane Gang because of how they operated.

Casady says police have been investigating a series of bank frauds since March.

He says the suspects would steal purses, then cash forged checks at banks.

They use the "Felony Lane" in the bank drive through. It's the lane farthest from the teller.

Casady says the thief will send the stolen check and ID up the tube. The teller is too far away to really see who is in the car. Often times, he says thieves will use a disguise, trying to match the picture ID.

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