Three Charged in Rhode Island For Conspiracy to Steal and Sell Catalytic Converters
Federal prosecutors have charged three Rhode Island men with running what investigators describe as a large‑scale catalytic‑converter theft ring across Southern New England and the greater Boston area. Authorities claim the group stripped more than 7,000 vehicles generating an estimated $2.4 million in illicit proceeds.
A criminal complaint unsealed in U.S. District Court in Providence names Kuron Mitchell, 25, of Newport; Alberto Rivera, 25, of Cranston; and Luis Aceituno, 27, of Providence. All three are accused of interstate transportation of stolen property worth more than $5,000 and of conspiring to commit that offense. Prosecutors also allege that Aceituno filed false tax returns, omitting nearly $700,000 in income tied to the scheme.
According to charging documents, the thefts followed a consistent pattern which caught the attention of the Cranston Police Department. Beginning no later than January 2021 and continuing through November 2022, the defendants and unnamed accomplices allegedly cruised Rhode Island and Massachusetts neighborhoods and parking lots, hunting for unattended vehicles. Working in teams, they used cutting tools to remove catalytic converters—emissions‑control devices prized for the precious metals they contain—then sold many of the parts to a Providence recycling business identified only as “Company 1.” At the time, scrap buyers were paying roughly $300 to $1,500 per converter, depending on the model and metal content.
A defendant is also charged with income tax evasion
An FBI analysis of Company 1’s records, seized during a court‑authorized search in February 2023, traced 19 converters and $7,100 in proceeds to Rivera and 2,128 converters and $699,735 to Aceituno for the years 2021–22. Prosecutors say Aceituno failed to report that income to the Internal Revenue Service, shorting the government $199,908 in taxes over the two‑year period.
The defendants’ initial court appearances produced three different outcomes. Aceituno, brought before a judge on Monday, was released on an unsecured bond. Mitchell had been ordered to home detention with GPS monitoring after an April 25 hearing, while Rivera remains in custody on unrelated charges.
The investigation is being led by the FBI, with assistance from more than a dozen local, state and federal agencies, including the Cranston and Providence Police Departments, IRS‑Criminal Investigations, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, and the Department of Veterans Affairs‑Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr. and Julie M. White are prosecuting the case.
Just a reminder that a federal criminal complaint is an accusation; the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
