U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins said Wednesday that the men frequently targeted as many as 10 vehicles per night, and on one night stole from 26 vehicles.
BOSTON — Seven men who authorities said worked with the speed and efficiency of a “NASCAR pit crew” to steal catalytic converters from nearly 500 vehicles in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, resulting in losses estimated at $2 million, were arrested Wednesday, federal prosecutors said.
The suspects worked like “a NASCAR pit crew” using “skill and speed” to jack up vehicles and cut out the catalytic converters, Rollins said. Five of the men are from Springfield, Massachusetts, one is from Holyoke, and the alleged ringleader, Rafael Davila, 35, is from Agawam, authorities said. The devices contain metals such as platinum that are more valuble than gold and when cut from a vehicle’s undercarriage can fetch more than $1,000 on the black market, federal authorities said.The thefts cause headaches for families and businesses that have to pay to have them replaced, she said.Authorities suspect the crew was responsible for at least 471 catalytic converter thefts this year and last.
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