Nice Job Lee County
Southwest Florida Actively working to fight gangs and drugs on all fronts, through prevention and enforcement.
Gangs are active in Southwest Florida, but many members have evolved beyond tattooed, gun- and knife-wielding thugs.
Local law enforcement officials say gangs have turned to more sophisticated white-collar crimes such as identity theft and credit card, insurance and tax fraud. It’s a trend that has been growing nationally
during the past few years, according to a report recently released by the FBI’s gang unit.
"The gangs are becoming very technically savvy when it comes to that kind of stuff,” said Sgt. Mike Rakestraw, supervisor of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Gang Investigations Unit. Gang-related white
collar crime has been growing steadily in Lee County during the past few years, he said.
Collier County has seen victims targeted for as much as $300,000, said Sgt. Ron Byington, coordinator of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office Street Gang Unit. Often gang members will collect the personal information for scams from girlfriends working as receptionists in government, doctors’ or dentists’ offices, he said. They might also buy credit card numbers from restaurant employees.
See the whole story here.
Gangs are active in Southwest Florida, but many members have evolved beyond tattooed, gun- and knife-wielding thugs.
Local law enforcement officials say gangs have turned to more sophisticated white-collar crimes such as identity theft and credit card, insurance and tax fraud. It’s a trend that has been growing nationally
during the past few years, according to a report recently released by the FBI’s gang unit.
"The gangs are becoming very technically savvy when it comes to that kind of stuff,” said Sgt. Mike Rakestraw, supervisor of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Gang Investigations Unit. Gang-related white
collar crime has been growing steadily in Lee County during the past few years, he said.
Collier County has seen victims targeted for as much as $300,000, said Sgt. Ron Byington, coordinator of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office Street Gang Unit. Often gang members will collect the personal information for scams from girlfriends working as receptionists in government, doctors’ or dentists’ offices, he said. They might also buy credit card numbers from restaurant employees.
See the whole story here.
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