A CT man was paid $500K for catalytic converters stolen from across the state
A New Britain man was sentenced to more than four year in prison this week for stealing and selling catalytic converters as part of statewide scheme, according to federal authorities.
Roberto Alicea, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to a total of 54 months in federal prison as well as three years of supervised release, for the “offenses related to his participation in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring,” according to federal authorities.
Authorities, citing court documents and statements made in court, said the case grew out of an investigation into the “coordinated theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut.”
The catalytic converter scheme that was “a substantial operation that generated millions of dollars in sales,” federal prosecutors said in a sentencing memo.
Authorities noted that catalytic converters contain “precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves.”
Depending on the model and type of precious metal component, the average scrap price for catalytic converters varies from $300 to $1,500, according to federal authorities.
Authorities said Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC, which operated a warehouse in East Hartford, “purchased stolen catalytic converters from a network of thieves, including Alicea, and then transported and sold the catalytic converters to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey.”
In the sentencing memo, federal prosecutors also said “numerous firearms” were kept at the East Hartford warehouse “for the purpose of protecting the stolen converters and cash assets from potential robberies, especially during hours when they were meeting with their suppliers.”
Authorities seized business records that showed that, from December 2021 to May 2022, Downpipe Depot paid Alicea about $540,000 for catalytic converters, according to federal officials.
Alicea acquired “converters by purchasing directly from “cutters,” who are the individuals stealing converters off vehicles in the community,” the government sentencing memo says.
Money was “’earned’ at the expense of individual vehicle owners all over the state of Connecticut who had their vehicles damaged.”
Authorities said Alicea’s criminal history includes convictions for larceny, criminal trespass, property damage, assault with a firearm, carrying a dangerous weapon, and engaging in a police pursuit.
Alicea has been in custody since his arrest in August 2022 and in June 2023, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, authorities said.