We’ve known for a while that catalytic converter theft was a big problem. In fact, it was enough of a problem that Toyota decided to offer a catalytic converter shield with the new Prius. If you’re still struggling to understand how profitable it is for thieves, it will probably help put things in perspective when you hear that a family in Sacramento, California just pleaded guilty to a $US38 million catalytic converter theft conspiracy.
The Eastern District of California announced today that brothers Tou Sue Vang and Andrew Vang, along with their mother Monica Moua have pleaded guilty to to charges that they conspired to ship stolen catalytic converters to New Jersey from their home in California. Tou Sue Vang also pleaded guilty to 39 charges related to money laundering. This makes sense because they reportedly made $US38 million from this little endeavour, and that’s not the kind of money you can easily pass off as regular income.
These convictions come after 21 individuals were arrested as part of a coordinated raid to break up a national catalytic converter theft ring that sold stolen cats to a metal refinery for a total of more than $US600 million. As a part of that ring, the defendants were charged with operating an unlicensed business out of their home where they bought stolen cats from thieves and then shipped them to DG Auto in New Jersey to be processed.
Tou Sue Vang, Andrew Vang and Monica Moua now await sentencing. Tou Sue Vang likely faces the most time, with some of his 40 charges carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years and fines of up to $US500,000 per count, although it’s hard to determine how much time he will actually end up serving. Andrew Vang and Monica Moua should get a lighter punishment, as they’re only looking at up to five years in prison.
As part of the 2022 indictment, six other New Jersey residents who operated separate DG Auto locations were also charged, accused of knowingly buying stolen catalytic converters, extracting the precious metals inside and selling them to a metal refinery. However, none of the six have yet been convicted.
Photo: Justin Sullivan / Staff (Getty Images)
Want more Aussie car news? Here’s every EV we’ve reviewed in the last two years, all the EVs we can expect down under soon, and our guide to finding EV chargers across the country. Check out our dedicated Cars tab for more.