NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A Florida man was sentenced in Nashville to a little over four years for his role in a bank fraud conspiracy while using tactics known as the Felony Lane Gang.

Melvin Brooks, 40, of Fort Lauderdale, was charged in November 2021 with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud and aggravated theft. In January, Brooks pleaded guilty to all charges.

The Felony Lane Gang, according to the United States Middle District of Tennessee, is typically a group of thieves from Florida who travel over the country and target unoccupied vehicles for “smash and grab” thefts, stealing purses and using stolen identification documents and credit cards to commit financial crimes. When cashing stolen checks, they typically use the drive-thru lane farthest from the bank in an attempt to avoid detection.

According to court documents, Brooks worked with Bobbie Lynn Riley, 39, of Dickson, TN, to get identification documents and checks stolen from others to get more than $30,000 in cash and gift cards from area banks and businesses. While traveling interstate, the two used stolen license plates to mask the identity of their rental cars used during the commission of the crimes, also a tactic of the FLG, officials say.

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