The leader of a multistate operation that stole thousands of catalytic converters from private vehicles and sold them on a secondary market for millions of dollars, based on the value of the precious metals that the devices contain, pleaded guilty recently in Tulsa’s federal district court.
Navin Khanna, aka “Lovin,” 41, of Holmdel, New Jersey, pleaded guilty last week to one count of conspiracy to receive, possess, and dispose of stolen goods in interstate commerce and five counts of money laundering regarding his participation in the stolen goods scheme.
“The defendant made $600 million and financed his ostentatious lifestyle by buying and selling stolen goods,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“Khanna’s theft ring took advantage of hard-working citizens in the Northern District of Oklahoma by stealing catalytic converters, rendering the vehicles unusable,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “In Tulsa alone, more than 2,000 catalytic converters were stolen in 2022,” he said. “I thank the Tulsa Police Department and our law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts in bringing this criminal to justice.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Khanna admitted being the owner and operator of New Jersey-based D.G. Auto Parts, a criminal enterprise that bought and sold auto parts across the country.
From May 2020 through October 2022, Khanna conspired with others to purchase and transport large quantities of stolen catalytic converters from Oklahoma, Texas, and other states to New Jersey. Khanna admitted receiving more than $600 million by reselling the stolen catalytic converters to a metal refinery that extracted their precious metals, which can be more valuable per ounce than gold.
In response to a drastic increase in catalytic converter thefts throughout Tulsa in 2020, the Tulsa Police Department initiated an investigation that soon uncovered a national criminal enterprise.
Federal, state and local law enforcement partners from across the United States executed a coordinated takedown in November 2022 of leaders and associates of a national network of thieves, dealers and processors for their suspected roles in conspiracies involving stolen catalytic converters sold to a metal refinery for more than half a billion dollars.
Amidst a rise in catalytic converter thefts across the country, the U.S. Justice Department carried out Operation Heavy Metal that targeted “a multimillion-dollar catalytic converter theft network,” then-U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said.
Arrests, searches and seizures occurred in Oklahoma, California, Wyoming, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, North Carolina and Virginia. More than 32 search warrants were executed in Oklahoma, Texas, California, New Jersey and New York, and 21 individuals in five states were arrested and/or charged for their roles in the conspiracy, federal officials announced.
The suspects were named in two separate indictments that were unsealed in the Northern District of Oklahoma and the Eastern District of California.
Khanna was indicted by federal grand juries in both states. Khanna’s 12 co-defendants in the Northern District of Oklahoma – including eight Oklahomans – pleaded guilty for their participation in the criminal scheme and almost all await sentencing.
In his plea agreement, Khanna agreed to forfeit almost $4 million in cash, 11 luxury vehicles — including a Lamborghini, two Mercedes- AMGs, two Ferraris, a McLaren, a Porsche, a Ford F650 Truck and a BMW M3 — along with real estate properties, high-end jewelry, gold bars and more than 200 pallets of catalytic converters, all seized by law enforcement during the execution of search warrants at Khanna’s properties.
Khanna’s co-defendants have agreed to forfeit more than $3.2 million, including more than $250,000 from multiple bank accounts; two lots of land located in Oklahoma, cars, and stolen catalytic converters confiscated during the investigation.
Clint Johnson, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, agreed to transfer Khanna’s sentencing to the Eastern District of California, where he awaits further prosecution for related crimes.
Khanna faces a maximum penalty of 168 to 210 months in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Others who admitted participating in the criminal enterprise included: Oklahoma conspirators
• Tyler James Curtis, 28, of Wagoner, pleaded guilty last October to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He operated Curtis Cores in Oklahoma and bought catalytic converters delivered across state lines from Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, New York, Minnesota, New Mexico, Louisiana and other states. In turn, Curtis Cores shipped the stolen catalytic converters to D.G. Auto Parts in New Jersey, Curtis admitted. “From March 2021 to October 2022, D.G. Auto Parts “wired Curtis Cores more than $16 million,” Curtis told federal prosecutors.
• Benjamin Robert Mansour, 37, of Bixby, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He operated Green Country Auto Parts in Bixby and “knowingly purchased catalytic converters from individuals, many of whom did not have a scrap yard or valid business license” and there was “no way to verify the source” of the units. Mansour sold many of the converters to Tyler Curtis, who paid Mansour from money he received from Khanna. Mansour was sentenced in February to 30 months in federal prison.
• Reiss Nicole Biby, 27, of Wagoner, pleaded guilty in June to misprision of a felony. “I had knowledge of the commission of a felony,” she admitted: a conspiracy to receive stolen goods and concealing currency derived from the sale of stolen goods but failing to report it to law enforcement authorities. She agreed to forfeit $1.1 million and $250,000 in catalytic converters.
• Ryan David Larue, 31, of Broken Bow, pleaded guilty last October to conspiracy. He was employed by Tyler Curtis and Curtis Cores, and bought many suspect catalytic converters.
• Brian Pate Thomas, 27, of Chouteau, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy. He, too, was employed with Curtis Cores and bought suspect catalytic converters.
• Parker Star Weavel, 27, of Tahlequah, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of receiving stolen property in Indian Country. Weavel “worked as a garage hand” at a business owned by Tyler Curtis and Brian Thomas was Weavel’s supervisor.
• Shane Allen Minnick, 29, of Haskell, who also worked for Curtis Cores and “knowingly purchased” suspect catalytic converters, pleaded guilty to conspiracy. Minnick was sentenced in May to five years’ probation and agreed to forfeit $500,000 in cash seized that federal officials seized.
• Michael Anthony “Big Mike” Rhoden, 28, of Kiefer, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy. He worked for Curtis Cores from May 2020 through most of October 2022 and admitted “knowingly” buying suspect catalytic converters. Other conspirators
• Adam G. Sharkey, 28, of West Islip, New York, operated Capital Cores Corp. in West Islip. He worked with D.G. Auto Parts in buying catalytic converters of dubious origin. “From May 2020 through September 2022, D.G. Auto wired Capital Cores Corp. more than $54 million,” Sharkey informed the court.
• Martynas and Kristina McKay Macerauskas, both 30, operated M&M Core Buying in Lelia Lake, Texas. They admitted knowingly buying catalytic converters that were of dubious origin and “worked with” Tyler Curtis in Oklahoma. From May 2021 to May 2022, D.G. Auto Parts “wired M&M Core Buying more than $6 million,” they told the federal court. Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy and agreed to forfeit $2.2 million that investigators seized.
• Robert Gary Sharkey, 59, of Babylon, New York, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony and agreed to forfeit $1,129,000 in U.S. currency seized in Wyandotte, Oklahoma, in 2022. He admitted knowing about the conspiracy and failing to report it to authorities.
• And in California, a federal grand jury returned a 40-count indictment charging Khanna and eight other defendants with conspiracy to transport stolen catalytic converters, conspiracy to commit money laundering and other related charges.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. IRS-Criminal Investigations, the Tulsa Police Department, the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wyandotte Nation Police Department contributed to the investigation.