Three Men Sentenced to Prison for Their Roles in Nationwide “Felony Lane Gang” Conspiracy Publisher: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of New York Dateline: Albany, New York Date: 20 December 2023 Subjects: American Government , Crime

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Three men – Randall Taylor, age 37, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Cedric Lynch, age 38, of Orlando, Florida; and Keyshawn Arnold, age 27, of Schenectady, New York – have been sentenced to federal prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and to aggravated identity theft.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; James Smith, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Putnam County Sheriff Kevin J. McConville made the announcement.

In previously pleading guilty, the three defendants each admitted that they were involved in a fraud scheme known as “Felony Lane Gang” at various times between 2015 and 2020. To operate the scheme, these defendants and their co-conspirators traveled across the country breaking into cars, often targeting those parked by women at locations such as health and fitness centers, daycares, and parks. They stole purses containing debit cards, credit cards, checkbooks and photo identifications in these “smash-and-grab” vehicle thefts, and they recruited women to commit bank fraud by impersonating the smash-and-grab victims in drive-through bank lines in order to cash stolen checks. The check cashers were almost always suffering from an addiction to controlled substances and were provided payment at least partially in drugs. The total loss amount from the conspiracy was over $1 million, with individual co-conspirators responsible for portions of that loss.

            Taylor, Lynch, and Arnold received the following sentences imposed by United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino:

• Taylor was sentenced on December 20, 2023 to 61 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $54,967, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $11,240, and he was ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release after completing his term of imprisonment.

• Lynch was sentenced on November 22, 2023 to 61 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $80,464, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $11,740, and he was ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release.

• Arnold was sentenced on November 20, 2023 to 51 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $142,670, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $19,810, and he was ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release.

Six other defendants were charged in the indictment as co-conspirators with Taylor, Lynch and Arnold, and they all pled guilty and were sentenced previously, as follows:

• Joshua Mallory, age 38, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced on October 27, 2023 to 80 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $364,989.56, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $17,183.90, and he was ordered to serve a 5-year term of supervised release.

• Tyrone Parker Jr., age 24, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced on October 20, 2023 to 65 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $81,737, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $8,630, and he was ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release.

• Robert Natson, age 37, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced on October 4, 2023 to 46 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $34,400, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $4,352, and he was ordered to serve a 4-year term of supervised release.

• Gary Grier, age 37, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced on August 25, 2023 to 51 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $163,964, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $1,880, and he was ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release.

• Terrell McDonald, age 33, of Troy, New York, was sentenced on March 13, 2023 to 65 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $133,190, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $17,648.28, and he was ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release.

• Tyrone Parker (the father of co-defendant Tyrone Parker Jr.), age 42, of Fort Lauderdale, was sentenced on February 13, 2023 to 57 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $132,990, along with a forfeiture money judgment of $7,202, and he was ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release.

This case was investigated by the FBI Westchester Resident Agency of the New York Field Office and the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in Albany, Miami, and Salt Lake City, and Resident Agencies in Savannah, Georgia, and Portland, Maine, and from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine, the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office, and the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office.  Additional assistance was provided by numerous law enforcement agencies, including, within New York, the New York State Police; Columbia County Sheriff’s Office; Genesee County Sheriff’s Office; Monroe County Sheriff’s Office; Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office; Warren County Sheriff’s Office; and the police departments of the Town of Bethlehem; Glens Falls; Gloversville; Greenburgh; Greece; and Watervliet; and elsewhere, Connecticut State Police; Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Georgia State Patrol; Illinois State Police; Massachusetts State Police; Broward County, FL Sheriff’s Office; Northern York County, PA Regional Police; Southern Chester County, PA Regional Police; Utah County, UT Sheriff’s Office; and the police departments of Auburn, MA; Bath, ME; Biddeford, ME; Bozeman, MT; Brunswick, ME; Caernarvon Township, PA; Chester Township, PA; Cinnaminson, NJ; Darien, CT; East Norriton Township, PA; Easthampton, MA; Greenwich, CT; Lower Moreland Township, PA; Manheim Township, PA; Portland, ME; Portsmouth, NH; Saco, ME; Salisbury, MA; Sanford, ME; Scarborough, ME; Somersworth, NH; South Portland, ME; St. George, UT; Syracuse, UT; Tinicum, PA; Towamencin, PA; Tewksbury, MA; Wakefield, MA; Yarmouth, ME; and York, ME.

Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. McCrobie, Michael F. Perry and Paul Tuck prosecuted this case.

Updated December 20, 2023