Three Rhode Island men are accused of stealing and selling hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of catalytic converters across southern New England, Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom said.Kuron Mitchell, 25, of Newport, Alberto Rivera, 25, of Cranston, and Luis Aceituno, 27, of Providence, are each charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with interstate transportation of stolen property worth more than $5,000 and conspiracy. Aceituno is also charged with filing false tax returns.In January 2022, Cranston police began tracking patterns surrounding catalytic converter thefts, and later identified the suspects as a group believed responsible for more than 7,000 thefts in the Boston area and southern New England, investigators said. Investigators said from at least January 2021 until November 2022, Rivera, Aceituno, Mitchell and others canvassed neighborhoods and parking lots for unoccupied vehicles to steal catalytic converters. Working in groups, they allegedly targeted vehicles in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, cut off the catalytic converters and sold them.The stolen parts were sold to a Providence company that recycles catalytic converters, investigators said. Depending on the model and type of precious metal component, the average scrap price for catalytic converters ranged from $300 to $1,500. The combined value of the parts is more than $2.4 million, investigators said. An FBI analysis of the company’s databases showed that from 2021 to 2022, Rivera allegedly sold 19 catalytic converters and received $7,100; Aceituno allegedly sold 2,128 catalytic converters to the company and received $699,735.Aceituno failed to disclose to the IRS income derived from the sale of catalytic converters in tax years 2021 and 2022 and did not pay nearly $200,000 in taxes, investigators said. Aceituno appeared in U.S. District Court on Monday and was released on unsecured bond. Mitchell appeared in U.S. District on April 25, 2024, and was ordered released to home detention with GPS monitoring. Rivera is currently detained on charges unrelated to the matter.
BOSTON —
Three Rhode Island men are accused of stealing and selling hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of catalytic converters across southern New England, Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom said.
Kuron Mitchell, 25, of Newport, Alberto Rivera, 25, of Cranston, and Luis Aceituno, 27, of Providence, are each charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with interstate transportation of stolen property worth more than $5,000 and conspiracy.
Advertisement
Aceituno is also charged with filing false tax returns.
In January 2022, Cranston police began tracking patterns surrounding catalytic converter thefts, and later identified the suspects as a group believed responsible for more than 7,000 thefts in the Boston area and southern New England, investigators said.
Investigators said from at least January 2021 until November 2022, Rivera, Aceituno, Mitchell and others canvassed neighborhoods and parking lots for unoccupied vehicles to steal catalytic converters. Working in groups, they allegedly targeted vehicles in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, cut off the catalytic converters and sold them.
The stolen parts were sold to a Providence company that recycles catalytic converters, investigators said.
Depending on the model and type of precious metal component, the average scrap price for catalytic converters ranged from $300 to $1,500. The combined value of the parts is more than $2.4 million, investigators said.
An FBI analysis of the company’s databases showed that from 2021 to 2022, Rivera allegedly sold 19 catalytic converters and received $7,100; Aceituno allegedly sold 2,128 catalytic converters to the company and received $699,735.
Aceituno failed to disclose to the IRS income derived from the sale of catalytic converters in tax years 2021 and 2022 and did not pay nearly $200,000 in taxes, investigators said.
Aceituno appeared in U.S. District Court on Monday and was released on unsecured bond. Mitchell appeared in U.S. District on April 25, 2024, and was ordered released to home detention with GPS monitoring. Rivera is currently detained on charges unrelated to the matter.
