COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The Colonie Police Department said two women have been arrested after a brief chase and search near the Albany International Airport on June 15. Police said Shannon Thompson, 36, originally of Pennsylvania, and Melissa Farley, 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, appear to be members of the Felony Lane Gang.
Police said the Felony Lane Gang steals debit cards and checks from parked vehicles or gym lockers and uses them at local bank branches. They often dress or alter their appearance to look similar to the victim.
On Wednesday around 4 p.m., Colonie police were contacted by a bank employee who reported suspicious activity in the bank drive-through. The caller reported that a woman was trying to access a bank account using a stolen driver’s license while wearing a disguise.
The bank employee was the woman could have possibly been involved in the recent crimes at other bank locations in the Capital Region. Police said she left the bank before the police arrived.
According to police, they found the woman in her car a few minutes later and tried to pull her over. She then led police on a brief chase. Police said they lost sight of the car near the Albany International Airport, but later found it abandoned near the Albany County Hockey Facility.
With the help of the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, police were able to get a description of the women and which direction they were traveling. A perimeter was formed around a wooded area and after over 90 minutes of searching, police said the women were found and taken into custody.
Charges for Thompson
- Second-degree possession of forged instruments (felony)
- First-degree identity theft (felony)
- Two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property (felony)
- Firth-degree criminal possession of stolen property (misdemeanor)
- Reckless driving (misdemeanor)
- Various vehicle and traffic violations
Charges for Farley
- Second-degree possession of forged instruments (felony)
- First-degree identity theft (felony)
- Two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property (felony)
- Firth-degree criminal possession of stolen property (misdemeanor)
Both women were arraigned in the Town of Colonie Justice Court. They were released to the supervision of Albany County Probation, pending a court appearance on July 6.
This is still an active and ongoing investigation. If you know something that might be relevant to this investigation, you can contact the Colonie Police Investigations Division at (518) 783-2754. To report a tip anonymously, you can call Capital Region Crimestoppers at 1-833-ALB-TIPS, or on the Crimestoppers website.
