Three men from Rhode Island have been charged in federal court for allegedly conspiring to steal and sell catalytic converters valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
The individuals charged are Kuron Mitchell, 25, from Newport, Alberto Rivera, 25, from Cranston, and Luis Aceituno, 27, from Providence. They have been charged with interstate transportation of stolen property and conspiracy. Additionally, Aceituno is accused of filing false tax returns.
According to documents, the Cranston Police Department began investigating thefts of catalytic converters in January 2022. A group was identified as allegedly responsible for stealing over 7,000 catalytic converters in Southern New England and the Boston area, with a value exceeding $2.4 million. Many converters were allegedly sold to a Providence recycling company known in court documents as Company 1.
From January 2021 to November 2022, Rivera, Aceituno, Mitchell, and others allegedly targeted vehicles in Rhode Island and Massachusetts for converter thefts. They reportedly sold many of these to Company 1.
An FBI analysis of Company 1's databases revealed that Rivera allegedly sold 19 converters, earning $7,100, while Aceituno allegedly sold 2,128 converters, receiving $699,735. Additionally, Aceituno reportedly did not disclose this income to the IRS in 2021 and 2022, resulting in unpaid taxes totaling $199,908.
In court proceedings, Luis Aceituno was released on an unsecured bond, while Kuron Mitchell was placed under home detention with GPS monitoring. Alberto Rivera remains detained on unrelated charges.
A criminal complaint is an accusation. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Assistant United States Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr., and Julie M. White are prosecuting the case.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the FBI, Cranston Police Department, and IRS-Criminal Investigations, among others.