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According to the US Attorney for Massachusetts, the theft ring included —
- Rafael Davila, a/k/a “Robin Hood,” 35, of Feeding Hills, Mass.;
- Jose Torres, a/k/a “Goldy,” a/k/a “Goldy Tech,” 37, of Springfield, Mass.;
- Nicolas Davila, 25, of Springfield, Mass.;
- Jose Fonseca, a/k/a “Charlito,” 26, of Springfield, Mass.;
- Zachary Marshall, 26, of Holyoke, Mass.;
- Santo Feliberty, 34, of Springfield, Mass.; and
- Alexander Oyola, a/k/a “Dirty,” 37, of Springfield, Mass.
Federal investigators said Rafael Davila acted as the ringleader and made stealing catalytic converters his full-time job — literally. He would work with one or more of the other accused men multiple nights a week for up to eight hours at a time, the prosecutor said.
Catalytic converters are part of your car's exhaust system and remove pollutants. They are filled with precious metals such as palladium, platinum, and rhodium, which make them popular with thieves. Converters can fetch up to $1,000 each on the black market, federal officials said.
Rafael Davila's alleged criminal network was made up of seasoned pros, federal prosecutors said. They could remove a catalytic converter from beneath a car in about a minute using battery-powered saws. They would sometimes even jack the vehicle up to access the part. Officials said they would steal as many as 10 a night and had once taken 26 in a day.
The crew sold the stolen converters to scrap dealers across the Northeast.
Rafael Davilla kept meticulous notes as well, investigators said. He noted the areas they'd worked, how many catalytic converters they'd stolen, the make and model of cars they came from, and which ones were the most valuable, officials said.
Police say the men stole 471 of them in all. Though, investigators believe they may have taken more.
Rafael Davila, Feliberty, and Oyola didn't limit themselves to stealing catalytic converters, authorities said. They also allegedly stole ATMs from three Massachusetts banks by yanking them from the ground using stolen trucks, officials said.
The trio is also accused of stealing more than $137,000 in jewelry in two New Hampshire store heists, officials said.
The men are charged with —
- Conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce
- Interstate transportation of stolen property
- Conspiracy to commit bank theft
- Bank theft
- Money laundering conspiracy.
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