If you have not had your catalytic converter stolen, you most likely know someone who has. Depending on the car and the damage, replacing the entire exhaust system can cost about $2,000. Due to the high repair costs and frequency, many insurers won’t cover it.
Thieves target the catalytic converter because it contains platinum, palladium, and rhodium, three precious metals that help to minimize emissions. Palladium, for example, has been valued higher than gold recently due to its conductivity in connectors and circuit boards, jewelry, and even some medications.
Catalytic converters are routinely stolen by thieves because they can be removed from a car’s exhaust system in a matter of minutes using a battery-powered saw. The inability to track stolen parts makes them even more desirable targets.
A family in Sacramento, California, realized that the large population and lack of effective preventive measures made it an easy market to enter. Tou Sue and Andrew Vang, together with their mother Monica Moua, purchased stolen catalytic converters from local crooks and sold them to a New Jersey bidder for $38 million. KCRA reported that Vang was also found guilty of money laundering.
The family’s crime empire spread far and wide
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To reach more consumers and recruit more thieves, the brothers developed an app that allowed users to explore stolen goods, even categorizing them by make and model. They did business from their home and various warehouses that they owned.
The more burglars they recruited, the more catalytic converters they collected, resulting in greater profits.
“This defendant led a network of criminals that hurt thousands of innocent car owners,” said Michele Beckwith, a prosecuting attorney. “This case represents the kind of far-reaching investigation that federal, state, and local law enforcement partners can do when working together. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to continuing its law enforcement partnerships to disrupt criminal conspiracies like this one that target the American people.”
Vang spent roughly $40 million on dozens of cars, a five-acre multi-family development in Rio Line for $1.235 million, and another home in Sacramento.
Tou Sue Vang received a 12-year prison sentence for his role, while the sentences for his brother and mother are unknown.
The US government had to forfeit some, too
Part of Vang’s punishment required the US government to turn up $150,000, more than a dozen cars, four boats, jewels, and property.
Along with the family, authorities questioned 12 persons from New Jersey. The family pleaded guilty to transporting $600 million in catalytic converters to metal refineries in New Jersey. They received $39 million for a cargo that weighed more than 1,000 pounds.
In October 2023, KCRA reported that authorities arrested more than 20 offenders linked to the robberies.
