Friday, March 29, 2024
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsOther NewsJustice Department Announces Takedown of Nationwide Catalytic Converter Theft Ring | OPA

Justice Department Announces Takedown of Nationwide Catalytic Converter Theft Ring | OPA

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Federal, state, and regional police partners from throughout the United States carried out an across the country, collaborated takedown today of leaders and partners of a nationwide network of burglars, dealerships, and processors for their functions in conspiracies including taken catalytic converters offered to a metal refinery for 10s of countless dollars.

Arrests, searches, and seizures happened in California, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, and Virginia. In overall, 21 people in 5 states have actually been jailed and/or charged for their functions in the conspiracy.

The 21 accuseds are charged in 2 different indictments that were unsealed today in the Eastern District of California and the Northern District of Oklahoma following substantial police arrest and search operations. In addition to the indictments, over 32 search warrants were carried out, and police took countless dollars in properties, consisting of houses, checking account, money, and high-end lorries.

“Amidst a rise in catalytic converter thefts across the country, the Justice Department has today carried out an operation arresting 21 defendants and executing 32 search warrants in a nation-wide takedown of a multimillion-dollar catalytic converter theft network,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will continue to work alongside our state and local partners to disrupt criminal conspiracies like this one that target the American people.”

“This national network of criminals hurt victims across the country,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “They made hundreds of millions of dollars in the process—on the backs of thousands of innocent car owners. Today’s charges showcase how the FBI and its partners act together to stop crimes that hurt all too many Americans.”

“With California’s higher emission standards, our community has become a hot bed for catalytic converter theft,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. “Last year approximately 1,600 catalytic converters were reportedly stolen in California each month, and California accounts for 37% of all catalytic converter theft claims nationwide. I am proud to announce that we have indicted nine people who are at the core of catalytic theft in our community and nationwide.”

“In Tulsa alone, more than 2,000 catalytic converters were stolen in the past year,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “Organized criminal activity, including the large-scale theft of catalytic converters, is costly to victims and too often places citizens and law enforcement in danger. The collective work conducted by federal prosecutors and more than 10 different law enforcement agencies led to the filing of charges in the Northern District of Oklahoma against 13 defendants operating an alleged catalytic converter theft operation.”

“The success of this national takedown highlights the importance and necessity of dynamic law enforcement partnerships that we foster at DHS every single day,” said Deputy Secretary John K. Tien of the Department of Homeland Security. “This calculated, cooperative whole-of-government approach across multiple states illustrates our commitment to protecting the homeland from those who seek to profit from sophisticated schemes. Homeland Security Investigations [HSI] will continue to focus its efforts on keeping these types of criminal elements off our streets while dismantling the groups behind these and other thefts.”

“Just like the precious metal inside every catalytic converter, there’s a money trail at the core of every criminal scheme,” said Chief Jim Lee of the INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Our IRS-CI special agents and partners are incredibly well-versed at unraveling financial trails, and this case is not unique. There are real victims here – friends, neighbors, and businesses – and our hope is that today’s arrests will deter similar criminal activity.” 

Catalytic Converters

Catalytic converters belong of an automobile vehicle’s exhaust gadget that minimize the hazardous gas and toxins from a vehicle’s internal combustion engine into safe emissions. Catalytic converters utilize rare-earth elements in their center, or “core”, and are frequently targeted for theft due to the high worth of these metals, particularly the rare-earth elements palladium, platinum, and rhodium. Some of these rare-earth elements are better per ounce than gold and their worth has actually been increasing over the last few years. The black-market rate for catalytic converters can be above $1,000 each, depending upon the kind of vehicle and what state it is from. They can be taken in less than a minute. Additionally, catalytic converters typically do not have distinct identification number, VIN details, or other distinct recognition functions, making them hard to trace to their legal owner. Thus, the theft of catalytic converters has actually ended up being significantly popular since of their worth, relative ease to take, and their absence of recognizing markings.

Eastern District of California Case

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of California returned a 40‑count indictment charging 9 accuseds with conspiracy to carry taken catalytic converters, conspiracy to dedicate money laundering, and other associated charges.

According to court files, bros Tou Sue Vang, 31, and Andrew Vang, 27, and Monica Moua, 51, all of Sacramento, California, apparently ran an unlicensed business from their personal residence in Sacramento where they purchased taken catalytic converters from regional burglars and delivered them to DG Auto Parts LLC (DG Auto) in New Jersey for processing. The Vang family apparently offered over $38 million in taken catalytic converters to DG Auto.

Defendants Navin Khanna, aka Lovin Khanna, 39; Tinu Khanna, aka Gagan Khanna, 35; Daniel Dolan, 44; Chi Mo, aka David Mo, 37; Wright Louis Mosley, 50; and Ishu Lakra, 24, all of New Jersey, ran DG Auto in numerous areas in New Jersey. They intentionally acquired taken catalytic converters and, through a “de-canning” procedure, drawn out the rare-earth element powders from the catalytic core. DG Auto offered the rare-earth element powders it processed from California and somewhere else to a metal refinery for over $545 million.

Northern District of Oklahoma Case

A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Oklahoma returned a 40‑count indictment charging 13 accuseds with conspiracy to get taken catalytic converters, conspiracy to dedicate money laundering, and other associated charges.

According to court files, together the accuseds purchased taken catalytic converters from burglars on the street, then re-sold and delivered them to DG Auto in New Jersey for processing. Over the course of the conspiracy, offender Tyler James Curtis got over $13 million in wired funds from DG Auto for the delivery of catalytic converters and gotten over $500,000 from Capital Cores for catalytic converters. Defendant Adam G. Sharkey got over $45 million in wired funds from DG Auto. And offender Martynas Macerauskas got over $6 million in payments from DG Auto for catalytic converters. In all these occurrences, the majority of the catalytic converters offered to DG Auto were taken, and DG Auto understood or ought to have understood that when they spent for them. 

The 13 accuseds are Navin Khanna, 39, of Holmdel, New Jersey; Adam Sharkey, 26, of West Islip, New York; Robert Gary Sharkey, 57, of Babylon, New York; Tyler James Curtis, 26, of Wagoner, Oklahoma; Benjamin Robert Mansour, 24, of Bixby, Oklahoma; Reiss Nicole Biby, 24, of Wagoner, Oklahoma; Martynas Macerauskas, 28, of Leila Lake, Texas; Kristina McKay Macerauskas, 21, of Leila Lake, Texas; Parker Star Weavel, 25, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma; Shane Allen Minnick, 26, of Haskell, Oklahoma; Ryan David LaRue 29, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma; Brian Pate Thomas, 25, of Choteau, Oklahoma; and Michael Anthony Rhoden, 26, of Keifer, Oklahoma.

Trial Attorney Danbee C. Kim of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica M.A. Alegría for the Eastern District of California, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reagan Reininger and David Nasar for the Northern District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the cases.

The FBI Sacramento, IRS-CI Sacramento, HSI Tulsa, and IRS-CI Tulsa are examining the cases.

FBI Las Vegas (NV), FBI Richmond (VA), FBI Charlotte (NC), FBI Newark (NJ), FBI Dallas (TX), HSI Dallas (TX), HSI Houston (TX), HSI Amarillo (TX), HSI St. Paul (MN), HSI Long Island (NY), HSI Newark (NJ), IRS-CI Chicago Field Office (IL), IRS-CI Oakland Field Office (CA), IRS-CI Dallas Field Office (TX), IRS-CI Newark Field Office (NJ), Tulsa Police Department (OK), Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office (OK), Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OK), Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office (OK), Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office (OK), Houston Police Department (TX), Amarillo Police Department (TX), Broken Arrow Police Department (OK), Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department (CA), Sacramento Police Department (CA), Davis Police Department (CA), Auburn Police Department (CA), Livermore Police Department (CA), San Bernardino County Sherriff’s Department (CA), Customs and Border Protection (NJ), Port Authority Police Department of New York and New Jersey (NY; NJ), Hudson County Sheriff’s Office (NJ), Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office (NJ), Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office (NJ), Morris Township Police Department (NJ), Springfield Police Department (NJ), New Jersey State Police (NJ), Union County Prosecutor’s Office (NJ), Port Authority of NY & NJ (NY; NJ), Howell Police Department (NJ), Warren Township Police Department (NJ), Freehold Borough Police Department (NJ), Middletown Police Department (NJ), Marlboro Police Department (NJ), Manalapan Police Department (NJ), Ocean County Sheriff’s Office (NJ), Burlington Police Department (NJ), Willingboro Police Department (NJ), Waterfront Commission of NY Harbor (NY), Nassau County Police Department (NY), Suffolk County Police Department (NY), Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (NV), Greensville County Sheriff’s Office (VA), Emporia Police Department (VA), Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office (VA), Halifax County Sheriff’s Office (NC), Saint Paul Police Department (MN), Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau (MN), Blaine Police Department (MN), McLeod County Sheriff’s Office (MN), Anoka County Sheriff’s Office (MN), Carver County Sheriff’s Office (MN), Roseville Police Department (MN), Plymouth Police Department (MN), Bloomington Police Department (MN), Eagan Police Department (MN), Woodbury Police Department (MN), Brown County Sheriff’s Office (MN), Brooklyn Park Police Department (MN), Fridley Police Department (MN), Mendota Heights Police Department (MN), Chaska Police Department (MN), and Coon Rapids Police Department (MN) supplied support.

An indictment is simply a claims. All accuseds are presumed innocent up until tested guilty beyond an affordable doubt in a law court.

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