BOSTON — Carlos Fonseca, a 33-year-old resident of Springfield, Massachusetts, has admitted his involvement in a sophisticated theft operation that targeted nearly 500 vehicles across Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The scheme, which resulted in an estimated $2 million in losses, included the theft of catalytic converters, jewelry store robberies, and ATM thefts. Fonseca’s plea was entered in federal court in Boston, with sentencing scheduled for June 21, 2024.
Fonseca, arrested in April 2023 alongside six others, played a key role in this organized crime group, responsible for stealing catalytic converters from at least 496 vehicles between 2022 and April 2023. His thefts, which spanned 103 vehicles across 13 separate instances, often took place overnight and targeted multiple municipalities.
The crackdown on this theft ring in April 2023 led to a significant decrease in catalytic converter thefts in Massachusetts, with only seven reported incidents in the 11 months following the arrests, compared to the hundreds in the nine months prior. Catalytic converters have become prime targets for theft nationwide due to the precious metals they contain, which can fetch over $1,000 each on the black market.
Equipped with battery-operated power tools and car jacks, the crew meticulously planned their operations, using an internet application to determine the real-time prices of catalytic converters based on the precious metals they contained. This enabled them to target specific vehicle makes and models to maximize profit, causing extensive damage to the vehicles involved.
The resulting financial toll amounted to approximately $5,000 per vehicle, with some repairs exceeding $10,000. Over 300 victims, including businesses, a food pantry, and individuals, were affected by the thefts. Some were targeted multiple times.
The stolen catalytic converters were sold to Jose Torres, who aggregated the stolen goods from various theft crews and sold them to scrap dealers in the Northeast, generating between $30,000 to $80,000 weekly from these transactions. Several of these dealers have been federally charged for interstate transportation of stolen property and money laundering in multiple districts.
Fonseca is the sixth defendant to plead guilty in this case. Torres, who has also pled guilty, awaits sentencing. The alleged leader of the crew, Rafael Davila, has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
The charges against Fonseca could result in up to five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and up to ten years for each count of interstate transportation of stolen property, along with potential fines and supervised release. Sentencing will be determined based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and relevant statutes.