CT man who made $540K selling stolen catalytic converters pleads guilty to role in trafficking ring
A New Britain man has pleaded guilty to his role in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring.
Roberto Alicea, 31, appeared Tuesday in federal court in Hartford where he pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
The charges combined carry a maximum of 15 years in prison. Alicea, who has been detained since August 2022, is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 5.
During an investigation into catalytic converters being stolen from motor vehicles across Connecticut, federal officials said authorities discovered that Downpipe Depot & Recycling, LLC., which had a warehouse on Park Avenue 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.
The U.S. Attorney’s office noted a catalytic converter contains precious metals and can easily be removed from a vehicle. It’s an item that is difficult to trace, “making it a desirable target for thieves.” The average scrap price for a catalytic converter can fall anywhere between $300 and $1,500, federal officials said.
Authorities seized business records from Downpipe Depot during the investigation that showed the business paid Alicea about $540,000 for catalytic converters between December 2021 and May 2022.