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Police claim to have arrested two men believed to be the heads of an identity theft ring that has defrauded businesses in excess of 1 million dollars.
According to the Police, Joel Freeman, 31, and Michael McDowell, 30 were finally nabbed after a high speed chase that started in Ruston and finally ended in Bossier Parish. Police were alerted to the two after an office supply store employee noticed something suspicious as the two men attempted to receive a store credit account. Police tried to question the pair, and they fled into a waiting car.
The two men jettisoned evidence of their crimes out the window during the chase and even threw out several laptop computers en route. The chase ended eventually after police stopped the pair with a chain of spikes laid across the road.
The two men are accused of stealing millions of dollars using people's identities to open credit in their names.
The two have been under investigation since someone in Shreveport noticed that someone in the area had been trying to open an account in his name.
Stolen identities and tax information was used in three states to make credit applications and buy things such as computers and other equipment, which were later sold at half price.
The two men will face identity theft charges, and may also get federal charges from the FBI.
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