HARTFORD, Conn. — Another man has pleaded guilty to participating in a catalytic converter theft ring that enabled a network of criminals to make hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Mervin Figueroa, 27, of New Haven, pleaded guilty in Hartford federal court on Wednesday to offenses stemming from his involvement in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring.
Court documents and statements made in court note that law enforcement has been investigating the theft of catalytic converters in Connecticut. Catalytic converters contain precious metals and can easily be removed from vehicles. They are difficult to trace, making them desirable for criminals to steal.
Prosecutors said that the average scrap price for catalytic converters currently ranges between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component.
Investigators found that Alex Kolitsas, the ringleader of the scheme, owned and operated Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC, which had a warehouse in East Hartford on Park Avenue. Between January 2021 and June 2022, Kolitsas and Downpipe Depot purchased stolen catalytic converters from a criminal network of thieves, including Figueroa.
Kolitsas, a Wolcott man who pleaded guilty to leading the theft and trafficking ring earlier this week, made hundreds of thousands of dollars by taking the catalytic converters to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey and selling them there. Prosecutors said Kolitsas told his suppliers what kind of converters would sell for the most money, and he would often meet with them and conduct business late at night at his home or behind a family member’s restaurant.
Investigators seized business records that revealed Downpipe Depot paid Figueroa $169,840 for catalytic converters, including ones that were stolen in two separate incidents from vehicles at U-Haul Moving and Storage in Naugatuck. Messages between Kolitsas and Figueroa show that Kolitsas told Figueroa that he needed to remove anti-theft tags that U-Haul placed on the converters.
Figueroa pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years. He also pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, which carries up to 10 years imprisonment.
Figueroa is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 5, 2025. He was arrested on Nov. 15, 2023, but posted a $50,000 bond and was released.
The investigation has been led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and the East Hartford Police Department.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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