Yahoo Autos Catalytic Converter Thief Gets Over A Year In Prison
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A catalytic converter thief who was found guilty in court has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for his crimes. Some likely feel justice has been served while others are going to argue that’s too light of a sentence considering.
Watch a catalytic converter thief get trapped in an unusual way.
The man, 31-year-old Michael Almodovar of New Haven, Connecticut, has been accused of being part of a catalytic converter trafficking ring operating in the area. Investigators concluded he and other thieves were selling chopped cats to a company called Downpipe Depot & Recycling.
What’s more, investigators obtained records from that business which indicated that from March to May 2022 Almodovar was paid over $34,000 for those stolen catalytic converters. That’s amazing the company kept records of those kinds of transactions, but perhaps they felt it all would look legitimate?
As WTNH reports in its coverage of Almodovar’s legal fallout, the man pled guilty to transportation of stolen property back in March of 2024. That sounds like a plea bargain with prosecutors, so he was likely facing bigger charges and potentially far more prison time.
Not everyone is a fan of prosecutors cutting deals with criminals. We understand why it’s done, but for those who have had their catalytic converter stolen, they might feel the consequences Almodovar now faces are too light.
In the meantime, it appears the legal battle for the owner of Downpipe Depot & Recycling as well as four others indicted by federal prosecutors might still be ongoing.
Catalytic converter theft has become a scourge in many parts of the country. Car owners are upset not only to find their cat has been stolen right off their ride while it sat parked, but also to learn the replacement cost is sky-high in part because of how the thieves chopped the converter off.
Image via Pixabay/Pexels
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