Chief of Massachusetts catalytic converter theft ring will get 10 years in jail

The chief of a western Massachusetts catalytic converter theft ring that the feds described as working on the velocity of a “NASCAR pit crew” will spend 10 years in jail.

Rafael “Robbin Hood” Davila, of Agawam, pleaded responsible in April to a number of prices related to the crew he ran within the Springfield space in an operation that ripped off $2 million in losses throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Courtroom Choose Leo T. Sorokin sentenced Davila to 10 years in jail to be adopted by three years of supervised launch throughout which Davila is to finish 75 hours of group service at a meals pantry — however not on the similar one the feds say he stole from throughout his crew-running days.

“I don’t want you to do it all at once,” Sorokin mentioned throughout sentencing as he imposed a restrict of 10 hours per thirty days of group service, “I want you to do it over a period of time to remind you of what you’ve done.”

Then-U.S. Lawyer Rachael Rollins introduced the arrest of a seven-member crew led by Davila in April 2023, the fruit of a state and federal partnership named “Operation Cut and Run.” Rollins described the group as working “like a NASCAR pit crew,” highlighting “the skill and speed with which these individuals could jack up a vehicle, cut the catalytic converter out.”

The group focused catalytic converters for a number of causes, in line with then-Boston FBI Particular Agent in Cost Joe Bonavolonta.

“Catalytic converters are easy to steal, they’re valuable and they lack identifying markings that can easily be traced by law enforcement,” Bonavolonta mentioned. “They’re also a prime target for thieves because of the exploding market value of the precious metals hidden inside their core and the disruptions in the supply chain that makes them difficult to replace.”

The day of the arrest, the dear metals which can be embedded in catalytic converters had been buying and selling excessive on the commodities market, with Monex, a bullion dealer primarily based in Newport Seashore, Calif., itemizing platinum at $1,027 an oz and palladium at $1,493. Different buying and selling web sites had rhodium listed at round $7,000 an oz for the day.

On the day of Davila’s sentencing, the values had eased, although had been on a slight rebound from prior lows: $995 an oz for platinum, $1,011 an oz for palladium and rhodium at $4,825 per ounce primarily based on the identical sources as earlier than.