Yanquee Rodriguez, Catalytic Converter Trafficking, Connecticut 2023

A West Hartford man has admitted his role in a large-scale catalytic converter theft ring, authorities announced yesterday.

Yanquee Rodriguez, 28, also known as 'Yankster Rodriguez,' pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and interstate transportation of stolen property in U.S. District Court in Hartford.

The charges, which carry a maximum of 15 years in prison, stem from Rodriguez's involvement in a ring that stole catalytic converters from vehicles across Connecticut and sold them to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey.

According to court documents, Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC, a warehouse on Park Avenue in East Hartford, purchased the stolen converters from Rodriguez and other thieves and then transported and sold them to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey.

Business records seized during the investigation revealed that Rodriguez was one of Downpipe Depot's largest suppliers of stolen catalytic converters, earning him $411,845 between January 2021 and June 2022.

Rodriguez was arrested on November 15, 2023, and released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham, and is the result of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department.

Rodriguez is scheduled to be sentenced on November 18, 2024.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/west-hartford-man-admits-role-catalytic-converter-theft-ring