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The 33-year-old man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in a family-owned catalytic converter theft ring that has resulted in more than $38 million, federal officials announced this week.
In a news release from the U.S. Lawyer’s Office, prosecutors said Sacramento resident Tou Sue Vang, 33, and his older brother Andrew Vang and mother Monica Moua had purchased a stolen catalytic converter from a burglar and were transported across the state line to buyer New Jersey.
“Theft of catalytic converters has become common across the country due to their value, their relatively easy stealing and lack of identification marks,” the release states. “Thieves steal catalytic converters from vehicles on the road for the precious metals they contain.”
In some cases, precious metals in parts are worth more per ounce than gold, prosecutors add, and the black market rates for certain catalytic converters from California could be above $1,000 each.
Theft rings have mostly exhausted family housing and storage units.
File – This photo provided by the Phoenix Police Station shows a stolen catalytic converter recovered on May 27, 2022 after detectives provided a search warrant in a Phoenix storage unit. The Minnesota Senator voted 40-25 on Thursday, March 2, 2023. (Phoenix Police Station via the AP, File) There are six stolen catalytic converters in the vehicle, a stolen license plate and a robbery tool, officials said. It turns out that the vehicle itself was stolen. (FB/Fountain Valley Police Department) Agents seized 20 catalytic converters from inside the vehicle due to a routine traffic stop in the Isla Vista area of Santa Barbara County, California. January 17, 2023 (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office) Two suspects were arrested on November 13, 2023 after finding six stolen vehicles and more than 100 stolen catalytic converters inside the Victor Building Home. (Utah Attorney General’s Office via the AP) On June 8, 2022, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office released this image of this catalytic converter (SBCSD).
Some of the Garden State’s shipments to DG Auto were up to £1,000 and included a certain type of high value catalytic converter, as found at the Toyota Prius.
According to a report by the Los Angeles Times, DG Auto sold parts to metal refineries for over $100 million.
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Tou Vang used revenue from illegal businesses to fund his luxurious lifestyle. This included Rio Linda’s five-acre, $1.23 million multi-homed complex. As part of his ruling, the US government seized $150,000 in cash, 13 vehicles, four individual vessels, jewelry, real estate and other property.
In 2023, his brother and mother, Tou Vang, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to theft ring.
“This takedown is the first in the country and is a major step forward in dismantling the catalytic converter theft ring,” said a special agent at Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office. “The group has been linked to an estimated $38 million loss, and this study demonstrates the power of strong collaboration.”
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