A 33-year-old man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for role in a family-run catalytic converter theft ring that brought in more than $38 million, federal officials announced this week.
In a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, prosecutors said 33-year-old Tou Sue Vang, a resident of Sacramento, along with his brother Andrew Vang and his mother Monica Moua, bought stolen catalytic converters from thieves and transported them across state lines to a buyer New Jersey.
“Catalytic converter theft has become prevalent across the nation because of their value, relative ease to steal, and their lack of identifying markings,” the release noted. “Thieves steal catalytic converters from vehicles on the street for the precious metals they contain.”
In some cases, the precious metals inside the parts are more valuable per ounce than gold, prosecutors added, and the black-market rate for certain catalytic converters out of California can be more than $1,000 each.
The theft ring was primarily run out of the family’s residence, as well as storage units.
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FILE – This photo provided by the Phoenix Police Department shows stolen catalytic converters that were recovered after detectives served a search warrant at a storage unit in Phoenix, May 27, 2022. The Minnesota Senate voted 40-25 on Thursday, March 2, 2023, to make it harder for thieves to sell stolen catalytic converters, a crime that has skyrocketed across the country in recent years. (Phoenix Police Department via AP, File) -
Inside the vehicle were six stolen catalytic converters, a stolen license plate and burglary tools, officials said. The vehicle itself was also found to have been stolen. (FB/Fountain Valley Police Department) -
Deputies seized 20 catalytic converters from inside a car they pulled over for a routine traffic stop in the Isla Vista area of Santa Barbara County, California. Jan. 17, 2023. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office) -
Two suspects were arrested after officers found six stolen vehicles and over 100 stolen catalytic converters inside their Victorville home on Nov. 13, 2023. (San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department) -
In this undated photo provided by the Utah Attorney General’s Office, catalytic converters are shown after being seized in a recent investigation. (Utah Attorney General’s Office via AP) -
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department on June 8, 2022, released this image of seized catalytic converters (SBCSD) -
The underside of a Toyota Prius with a catalytic converter (Getty Images) -
Brand new catalytic converters seen in this undated file photo.
Some of the shipments to DG Auto in the Garden State weighed as much as 1,000 pounds and contained a specific type of high-value catalytic converter, like those found in the Toyota Prius.
DG Auto, according to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, turned around sold the parts to a metal refinery for more than $100 million.
Tou Vang used proceeds from the illicit business to finance his lavish lifestyle, which included a $1.23 million multi-home complex on five acres in Rio Linda, the DOJ said. As part of his sentence, the U.S. Government seized $150,000 in cash, 13 vehicles, four personal watercraft, jewelry, real estate and other property.
In 2023, Tou Vang, his brother and mother pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in connection to the theft ring.
“This takedown is the first of its kind in the nation and a major step forward in dismantling a catalytic converter theft ring,” Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento Field Office said. “The group is tied to an estimated $38 million in losses, and this investigation shows the power of strong collaboration.”