Catalytic converter theft ring arrested by FBI, charged in New England

Seven people working with "the skill and speed of a NASCAR pit crew" have been federally charged in a multi-state theft ring after they stole nearly 500 catalytic converters from vehicles, prosecutors say.

In an investigation dubbed "Operation Cut and Run," FBI Boston's Organized Crime Task Force and Massachusetts State Police made the arrests after an investigation where thieves targeted more than 470 vehicles from 2022 to 2023.

"The crime, according to court documents, takes less than one minute, and effectively leaves these vehicles disabled," U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins said in a news conference in federal court, who added they worked like a "NASCAR pit crew."

Sometimes the men would hit 10 vehicles in a single night, Rollins said, and on one night reportedly stole as many as 26 catalytic converters.

Repairs to the damaged vehicles totaled about $2 million, the state's top prosecutor said.

Rollins on Wednesday announced federal charges against Rafael "Robbin Hood" Davila, 35, and his brother Nicolas Davila, 25; Jose "Goldy" Torres, 37; Carlos Fonseca, 26; Zachary Marshall, 26; Santo Feliberty, 34; and Alexander Oyola, 37.

Catalytic converter thefts are up:How to protect your catalytic converter from being stolen

The suspects, all from western Massachusetts, are accused of conspiring with one another to steal, sell and transport hundreds of catalytic converters across state lines that once belonged to unsuspecting drivers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Joe Bonavolonta, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston field office, said in the news conference.

Davila, the crew leader who prosecutors say planned and participated in all of the thefts on a full-time basis, provided transportation to each targeted vehicle, determined values for stolen converters, and purchased materials needed to cut the converters off cars.

Detectives found that the group sold the converters to buyers in New Jersey and Connecticut and laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds, Rollins said.

In addition to Wednesday's arrests, federal, state and local law enforcement searched nine locations in the Springfield, Massachusetts, area and seized 16 vehicles and five firearms from the seven people charged in the case, who were prohibited from owning firearms, Rollins said.

Seventy local police departments in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut aided in the investigation, Rollins said.

Catalytic converters filter harmful pollutants from a car's exhaust system. They contain valuable metals that make them targets for theft. They are regularly targeted car parts, sometimes stolen right out of driveways.

Located between the engine and the muffler, they contain high-value precious metals. The value of these metals per ounce has skyrocketed. Here are the values of each material, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau:

Catalytic converters can be removed with a battery-operated saw in minutes. They are then sold for a few hundred dollars to scrap recyclers.

For ripped-off car owners, the pain has just begun. Replacing the catalytic converter can cost $1,500 to $5,000, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. And insurance may not cover it.

What is a catalytic converter? Why thieves are stealing them and how to protect yours.

According to a press release from Rollins' office, the crew also targeted ATMs and jewelry stores.

Rafael Davila, Feliberty and Oyola also conspired to steal from ATMs of federally insured banks in Massachusetts on three separate occasions in December 2022, according to the release. The alleged conspiracy involved stolen trucks they would use to rip ATMs from the ground and gain access to the vault.

That trio is also accused of burglaries of two New Hampshire jewelry stores on Jan. 12. Prosecutors said the combined value of stolen jewelry was found to be more than $137,000, and each store sustained about $10,000 in damage.

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Contributing: Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY

Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.