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The raids took place before dawn in Nassau County at the homes and scrapyards of two brothers in Long Beach on Wednesday, Dec. 14, said Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder at a news conference.
During the raids, the homes of Andrew Pawelsky, age 24, and his brother, Alan Pawelsky, age 20, both of Long Beach were searched where police seized $3.9 million in cash from Alan Pawelsky’s home, some $100,000 from Andrew Pawelsky’s home and thousands of stolen catalytic converters from the brother's scrapyards, Ryder said.
The two had not been charged as of Wednesday. Several other raids were also carried out, but no one has been arrested, police said.
The brothers had a set-up with five machines used for crushing the catalytic converters to extract metals into a fine powder that is much in demand, especially during the war with Russia and Ukraine, Ryder added.
Once extracted, Ryder said the powder is sent to a company in Montana for refining. The Montana company is not suspected of illegal activity, he added.
Ryder said the metals including rhodium are worth more than $12,000 an ounce; palladium is $1,800 an ounce, and platinum is $1,000 an ounce.
The department's Public Information Office said that in addition to the above, agents from numerous agencies including Homeland Security and US Postal Service seized electronic equipment and three vehicles.
The investigation is ongoing and charges are expected.
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