Santo Feliberty, Catalytic Converter Theft Crew Member is Sentenced to Nearly Five Years in Prison

The theft of catalytic converters has become a widespread issue nationwide, involving various state, local, and federal authorities. This is due to the high value of the precious metals found in catalytic converters, some of which are more valuable than gold

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A Springfield man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a regional organized theft crew that stole catalytic converters from more than 490 vehicles. The crew is also accused of stealing from ATMs and jewelry stores.

Santo Feliberty, aged 34, received a 57-month prison sentence and three years of supervised release from U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin. Feliberty pleaded guilty in October 2024 to several charges, including conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines, two counts of interstate transportation of stolen property, conspiracy to commit bank theft, bank theft, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Feliberty was arrested in April 2023 along with six others. They were charged in connection with the theft, transportation, and sale of stolen catalytic converters taken from at least 496 vehicles across Massachusetts and New Hampshire from 2022 through April 2023. Authorities believe that a significant number of additional thefts have not been identified or were not reported to law enforcement.

According to court documents, there has been a significant decrease in reported catalytic converter thefts in Massachusetts since the arrests in April 2023. Only seven incidents have been reported in the past 11 months, compared to the hundreds of thefts reported in the nine months prior to the arrests.

The theft of catalytic converters has become a widespread issue nationwide, involving various state, local, and federal authorities. This is due to the high value of the precious metals found in catalytic converters, some of which are more valuable than gold. On the black market, these converters can fetch prices exceeding $1,000 each in recent years. When a vehicle's catalytic converter is stolen, it not only causes mechanical damage but also renders the vehicle inoperable, leading to legal issues under EPA regulations.

The thefts in this case resulted in losses of approximately $5,000 per vehicle, with repairs for certain trucks costing over $10,000. This totals to around $2 million in losses for more than 300 victims, who were left with disabled vehicles for potentially weeks. The victims included businesses and individuals across Massachusetts and parts of New Hampshire, such as a food pantry, automotive businesses, tradesmen, a bakery, single parents, a home healthcare provider, and the elderly. Some businesses were targeted multiple times on different occasions.

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After acquiring the stolen catalytic converters, the group would sell them to Jose Torres, who would collect converters from various theft crews and then sell them to scrap dealers in the Northeast. This operation resulted in transactions totaling approximately $30,000 to $80,000 in stolen converters per week. Torres would then sell these stolen converters to scrap dealers, some of whom have been federally charged for interstate transportation of stolen property and money laundering in different districts.

During sentencing, Feliberty was held responsible for his involvement in stealing catalytic converters from 52 vehicles across eight cities and towns in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. On the first night of thefts, Feliberty was confronted by a vehicle owner, who took action by breaking the rear window of the car Feliberty was driving.

Apart from the catalytic converter thefts, Feliberty was also part of a conspiracy to steal from ATMs of federally insured banks in Massachusetts on three separate occasions in December 2022. This scheme involved using stolen trucks to pull the ATMs from the ground and access the vaults.

Feliberty also committed burglaries at two jewelry stores in New Hampshire on January 12, 2023, and stole a trailer on December 14, 2022. The total value of the stolen jewelry from the burglaries exceeded $137,000, and each store incurred approximately $10,000 in repair costs due to the damage caused.

Furthermore, a firearm and ammunition were discovered at Feliberty's residence. He is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior felony convictions.

Torres pleaded guilty on May 17, 2023, to his involvement in the catalytic converter theft conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.

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