A West Hartford man, who pleaded guilty to his role in a large catalytic converter theft ring, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.

By Ronni Newton

A 28-year-old West Hartford man who pleaded guilty last summer in connection with his participation in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervision, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced last week.

According to a news release from Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Yanquee Rodriguez, aka “Yankster Rodriguez,” was sentenced Feb. 20 by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford.

Law enforcement agencies throughout the state have continued to deal with cases of catalytic converter theft from motor vehicles. “A catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves. The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

According to the release, the investigation indicated that the owner of Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC (“Downpipe Depot”), Alexander Kolitsas, was involved in the purchase and sale of stolen catalytic converters from a network of thieves that included Rodriguez. Downpipe Depot had a warehouse on Park Avenue in East Hartford.

“Kolitsas instructed his suppliers on the types of converters that would obtain the most profit upon resale, and he would often meet with them and transact business at his home in Wolcott late at night or behind a family member’s restaurant in Middlebury after hours,” the release said. The catalytic converters he purchased were then transported and sold to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Business records, seized in the investigation, indicate that Rodriquez, who was paid $411,845 for catalytic converters during the period January 2021 through June 2022, was one of the largest suppliers to Downpipe Depot. In total, Kolitsas paid his suppliers more than $3.3 million during that time period, the release states.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property on June 26, 2024. He was arrested on Nov. 15, 2023 in conjunction with this case, and was released on $100,000 bond pending his sentencing. He is now required to report to prison on May 19.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Kolitsas has pleaded guilty to related charges and awaits sentencing.

This investigation is being led 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.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.

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