Springfield catalytic converter thief gets five years in prison

A federal judge sentenced a Springfield man to nearly five years in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in an organized ring of thieves that stole lucrative catalytic converters from more than 490 cars.

Santo Feliberty, 34, helped steal catalytic converters — which contain precious metals that can often sell for more than gold — from 52 vehicles across eight cities and towns in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy’s office said in a statement.

The group Feliberty was a part of was accused of stealing, transporting, and selling catalytic converters from at least 496 vehicles in both states during 2022 through April 2023. Authorities said they believe more thefts “have not been identified or were not ever reported to law enforcement.”

“The thefts in this case resulted in losses of approximately $5,000 per vehicle with certain trucks costing over $10,000 to repair. This amounts to an approximate $2 million in losses suffered by more than 300 separate victims who were forced to deal with their vehicles being disabled for potentially weeks on end,” Levy’s office said.

Feliberty pleaded guilty in October to conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce; 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, prosecutors said.

Another member of the seven-person crew, Zachary Marshall, pleaded guilty to his role in the catalytic converter ring in November. Carlos Fonseca, 33, of Springfield pleaded guilty to his role in the thefts earlier this month.

Catalytic converter thefts were a nationwide problem, but since a the local ring of thieves were busted in April 2023 “there has been a precipitous decline” in stolen parts, with 11 catalytic converter thefts reported over the past 11 months, Levy’s office said.

Feliberty and the western Massachusetts ring of thieves worked at the speed of a “NASCAR pit crew,” quickly dismantling the catalytic converters and disappearing “under the cloak of darkness in 60 seconds,” FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge Joe Bonavolonta said at a press conference in the fall.

Removing a catalytic converter can damage a vehicle and render it inoperable, both mechanically and legally under federal regulations. Feliberty and the crew he ran with targeted all kinds of people and businesses, including a food pantry, single parents, a home healthcare provider, and the elderly, Levy’s office said.

Federal prosecutors said that once Feliberty and the six others arrested and charged stole a catalytic converter, they would sell them to Jose Torres, who in turn pawned them off to scrap dealers in the Northeast.

Torres would bring in about $30,000 to $80,000 a week from catalytic converters handed over by multiple crews, prosecutors said. He pleaded guilty for his role in May 2023, prosecutors said.

Levy’s office said on the first night Feliberty was stealing catalytic converters he was “confronted by the vehicle owner, who took matters into his own hands and smashed out the rear window of the car Feliberty was driving.”

Feliberty did not limit himself to catalytic converters. Prosecutors said he also attempted to steal ATMs of federally insured banks in Massachusetts on three separate occasions in December 2022.

Feliberty, according to prosecutors, would use stolen trucks to rip the ATMs from the ground to gain access to the vault.

The man also robbed two jewelry stores in January 2023 and a trailer in December 2022, according to prosecutors.

“The combined total value of the jewelry stolen during the burglaries was determined to be over $137,000, with each store facing approximately $10,000 in costs to repair the resulting damage,” Levy’s office said.