Grand jury indicts 2 on purse snatching, counterfeiting charges

A federal grand jury in Alexandria has indicted two high-ranking members of a purse-snatching and counterfeiting ring that authorities said has been operating in the capital region for nearly five years, documents said. Arrest warrants were issued last week for 39-year-old Robert Lee Felton Jr., of Fort Washington. He was charged with 13 counts of conspiracy, identity theft and counterfeit security. Antoine Dutch, 25, of Washington, D.C., was charged with five counts. Felton usually stole the purses from women while they bought gas from gas stations, court documents said. Sometimes Felton would hang around automobile dealerships and snatch unattended purses from female employees in the sales department.Felton then created counterfeit payroll checks on the accounts of legitimate businesses like Inova Health System or Giant of Maryland, document said. Posted in: Check Fraud