Northeast News
Oct. 27, 2010

Two Kansas City residents face federal charges following an incident in which they resisted arrest and assaulted agents with the United States Secret Service who were investigating their identity theft activities.

Christine Lane, 22, and Lateef Morris, 20, both of the 3800 block of Wayne Avenue, are the defendants in the case facing a maximum of 20 years in prison. According to federal agents, Lane was being investigated for ongoing allegations of identity theft. In January, she allegedly purchased a car from an Overland Park dealership using another woman’s name, date of birth, address and social security number.

On Aug. 3, the agent learned Lane was again using the same victim’s information to purchase a vehicle from El Ranchito Auto Sales on Truman Road. On that very same day, Lane returned to El Ranchito with Morris interested in test driving a car.

FBI agents arrived at the dealership while the two defendants were still on the test drive. When they returned and recognized agents were awaiting them, they fled on foot, getting into another vehicle. The agents pursued and reached into the car to try to stop them, but Morris drove off at a high rate of speed, dragging the agents along. One agent suffered minor injuries.

Morris had multiple outstanding local warrants, and Lane was wanted on a Johnson County warrant for escape from custody and was on outstanding probation violation warrants for identity theft.