Federal, state, and native legislation enforcement companions from throughout the USA executed a nationwide, coordinated takedown in the present day of leaders and associates of a nationwide community of thieves, sellers, and processors for his or her roles in conspiracies involving stolen catalytic converters offered to a metallic refinery for tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars}.
Arrests, searches, and seizures occurred in California, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, and Virginia. In complete, 21 people in 5 states have been arrested and/or charged for his or her roles within the conspiracy.
The 21 defendants are charged in two separate indictments that have been unsealed in the present day within the Jap District of California and the Northern District of Oklahoma following intensive legislation enforcement arrest and search operations. Along with the indictments, over 32 search warrants have been executed, and legislation enforcement seized thousands and thousands of {dollars} in property, together with houses, financial institution accounts, money, and luxurious automobiles.
“Amidst an increase in catalytic converter thefts throughout the nation, the Justice Division has in the present day carried out an operation arresting 21 defendants and executing 32 search warrants in a nation-wide takedown of a multimillion-dollar catalytic converter theft community,” stated Lawyer Common Merrick B. Garland. “We’ll proceed to work alongside our state and native companions to disrupt prison conspiracies like this one that concentrate on the American individuals.”
“This nationwide community of criminals damage victims throughout the nation,” stated FBI Director Christopher Wray. “They made lots of of thousands and thousands of {dollars} within the course of—on the backs of hundreds of harmless automotive homeowners. Immediately’s costs showcase how the FBI and its companions act collectively to cease crimes that damage all too many People.”
“With California’s increased emission requirements, our group has change into a sizzling mattress for catalytic converter theft,” stated U.S. Lawyer Phillip A. Talbert for the Jap District of California. “Final 12 months roughly 1,600 catalytic converters have been reportedly stolen in California every month, and California accounts for 37% of all catalytic converter theft claims nationwide. I’m proud to announce that we now have indicted 9 people who find themselves on the core of catalytic theft in our group and nationwide.”
“In Tulsa alone, greater than 2,000 catalytic converters have been stolen previously 12 months,” stated U.S. Lawyer Clint Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “Organized prison exercise, together with the large-scale theft of catalytic converters, is expensive to victims and too usually locations residents and legislation enforcement in peril. The collective work performed by federal prosecutors and greater than 10 completely different legislation enforcement businesses led to the submitting of costs within the Northern District of Oklahoma towards 13 defendants working an alleged catalytic converter theft operation.”
“The success of this nationwide takedown highlights the significance and necessity of dynamic legislation enforcement partnerships that we foster at DHS each single day,” stated Deputy Secretary John Ok. Tien of the Division of Homeland Safety. “This calculated, cooperative whole-of-government method throughout a number of states illustrates our dedication to defending the homeland from those that search to revenue from refined schemes. Homeland Safety Investigations [HSI] will proceed to focus its efforts on protecting all these prison components off our streets whereas dismantling the teams behind these and different thefts.”
“Identical to the valuable metallic inside each catalytic converter, there’s a cash path on the core of each prison scheme,” stated Chief Jim Lee of the IRS Felony Investigation (IRS-CI). “Our IRS-CI particular brokers and companions are extremely well-versed at unraveling monetary trails, and this case shouldn’t be distinctive. There are actual victims right here – associates, neighbors, and companies – and our hope is that in the present day’s arrests will deter related prison exercise.”
Catalytic Converters
Catalytic converters are a part of an automotive car’s exhaust machine that cut back the poisonous gasoline and pollution from a car’s inner combustion engine into secure emissions. Catalytic converters use valuable metals of their middle, or “core”, and are repeatedly focused for theft as a result of excessive worth of those metals, particularly the valuable metals palladium, platinum, and rhodium. A few of these valuable metals are extra beneficial per ounce than gold and their worth has been rising lately. The black-market worth for catalytic converters may be above $1,000 every, relying on the kind of car and what state it’s from. They are often stolen in lower than a minute. Moreover, catalytic converters usually lack distinctive serial numbers, VIN data, or different distinctive identification options, making them tough to hint to their lawful proprietor. Thus, the theft of catalytic converters has change into more and more well-liked due to their worth, relative ease to steal, and their lack of figuring out markings.
Jap District of California Case
A federal grand jury within the Jap District of California returned a 40‑rely indictment charging 9 defendants with conspiracy to move stolen catalytic converters, conspiracy to commit cash laundering, and different associated costs.
In response to court docket paperwork, brothers Tou Sue Vang, 31, and Andrew Vang, 27, and Monica Moua, 51, all of Sacramento, California, allegedly operated an unlicensed enterprise from their private residence in Sacramento the place they purchased stolen catalytic converters from native thieves and shipped them to DG Auto Components LLC (DG Auto) in New Jersey for processing. The Vang household allegedly offered over $38 million in stolen 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, operated DG Auto in a number of areas in New Jersey. They knowingly bought stolen catalytic converters and, by way of a “de-canning” course of, extracted the valuable metallic powders from the catalytic core. DG Auto offered the valuable metallic powders it processed from California and elsewhere to a metallic refinery for over $545 million.
Northern District of Oklahoma Case
A federal grand jury within the Northern District of Oklahoma returned a 40‑rely indictment charging 13 defendants with conspiracy to obtain stolen catalytic converters, conspiracy to commit cash laundering, and different associated costs.
In response to court docket paperwork, collectively the defendants purchased stolen catalytic converters from thieves on the road, then re-sold and shipped them to DG Auto in New Jersey for processing. Over the course of the conspiracy, defendant Tyler James Curtis obtained over $13 million in wired funds from DG Auto for the cargo of catalytic converters and obtained over $500,000 from Capital Cores for catalytic converters. Defendant Adam G. Sharkey obtained over $45 million in wired funds from DG Auto. And defendant Martynas Macerauskas obtained over $6 million in funds from DG Auto for catalytic converters. In all these incidents, many of the catalytic converters offered to DG Auto have been stolen, and DG Auto knew or ought to have recognized that once they paid for them.
The 13 defendants 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 Damaged Bow, Oklahoma; Brian Pate Thomas, 25, of Choteau, Oklahoma; and Michael Anthony Rhoden, 26, of Keifer, Oklahoma.
Trial Lawyer Danbee C. Kim of the Felony Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Part, Assistant U.S. Lawyer Veronica M.A. Alegría for the Jap District of California, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reagan Reininger and David Nasar for the Northern District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the circumstances.
The FBI Sacramento, IRS-CI Sacramento, HSI Tulsa, and IRS-CI Tulsa are investigating the circumstances.
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 Lengthy Island (NY), HSI Newark (NJ), IRS-CI Chicago Area Workplace (IL), IRS-CI Oakland Area Workplace (CA), IRS-CI Dallas Area Workplace (TX), IRS-CI Newark Area Workplace (NJ), Tulsa Police Division (OK), Tulsa County Sheriff’s Workplace (OK), Oklahoma Freeway Patrol (OK), Oklahoma Lawyer Common’s Workplace (OK), Wagoner County Sheriff’s Workplace (OK), Houston Police Division (TX), Amarillo Police Division (TX), Damaged Arrow Police Division (OK), Sacramento County Sheriff’s Division (CA), Sacramento Police Division (CA), Davis Police Division (CA), Auburn Police Division (CA), Livermore Police Division (CA), San Bernardino County Sherriff’s Division (CA), Customs and Border Safety (NJ), Port Authority Police Division of New York and New Jersey (NY; NJ), Hudson County Sheriff’s Workplace (NJ), Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Workplace (NJ), Monmouth County Sheriff’s Workplace (NJ), Morris Township Police Division (NJ), Springfield Police Division (NJ), New Jersey State Police (NJ), Union County Prosecutor’s Workplace (NJ), Port Authority of NY & NJ (NY; NJ), Howell Police Division (NJ), Warren Township Police Division (NJ), Freehold Borough Police Division (NJ), Middletown Police Division (NJ), Marlboro Police Division (NJ), Manalapan Police Division (NJ), Ocean County Sheriff’s Workplace (NJ), Burlington Police Division (NJ), Willingboro Police Division (NJ), Waterfront Fee of NY Harbor (NY), Nassau County Police Division (NY), Suffolk County Police Division (NY), Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Division (NV), Greensville County Sheriff’s Workplace (VA), Emporia Police Division (VA), Brunswick County Sheriff’s Workplace (VA), Halifax County Sheriff’s Workplace (NC), Saint Paul Police Division (MN), Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau (MN), Blaine Police Division (MN), McLeod County Sheriff’s Workplace (MN), Anoka County Sheriff’s Workplace (MN), Carver County Sheriff’s Workplace (MN), Roseville Police Division (MN), Plymouth Police Division (MN), Bloomington Police Division (MN), Eagan Police Division (MN), Woodbury Police Division (MN), Brown County Sheriff’s Workplace (MN), Brooklyn Park Police Division (MN), Fridley Police Division (MN), Mendota Heights Police Division (MN), Chaska Police Division (MN), and Coon Rapids Police Division (MN) offered help.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed harmless till confirmed responsible past an inexpensive doubt in a court docket of legislation.
