Three individuals involved in a multi-million dollar theft ring targeting Lowe’s stores all across the country were busted by area law enforcement after a tip from store security. Now three suspects are sitting behind bars. Officers confiscated 66 fake driver’s licenses at the scene.
The call came into the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office just after 3:30 pm. A security officer at the South Point Lowe’s reported multiple suspicious individuals in the store.
Security said these people had a history of committing thefts across the eastern United States and were believed to be responsible for $3.5 million dollars in losses.
The Asset Protection Manager said a man involved in the ring had just left the store and was headed towards his Mercedes SUV. When deputies arrived at the store, they spotted the vehicle and pulled it over.
Police found Lonfeng Liang, Anthony Liu, and Xiaohong Lin in the car. Lowe’s security told deputies the three were part of a gang that used fake IDs to open credit accounts at Lowe’s and that this operation had been going on for years.
In fact, earlier in the day, they’d opened up accounts at Lowe’s stores in West Virginia. Officers were able to view footage of the gang in action applying for credit with fake IDs at the stores.
Officers found 66 driver’s licenses from various states, a number of SIM cards for phones, plus $2000 in cash.
Officers arrested all three and booked them into the Lawrence County Jail on charges including identity fraud, receiving stolen property, and forgery.
