A New Jersey man has pleaded guilty in an Oklahoma federal court to leading a nationwide catalytic converter theft ring that trafficked stolen devices across multiple states and sold them for more than $600 million to a refinery that extracted the precious metals contained in the converters. The plea marks another major development in a sprawling case that highlighted the scale of catalytic converter thefts nationwide and the extensive networks used to profit from the valuable metals inside these components.
The Case at a Glance
Navin Khanna, a 41-year-old resident of Holmdel, New Jersey, admitted in a plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court in Tulsa that he was the owner and operator of D.G. Auto Parts, a business based in New Jersey. 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. This admission situates Khanna at the center of a multifaceted operation that spanned state lines and involved organized procurement, transport, and disposal of thousands of converters.
The consequences of Khanna’s actions extended beyond mere theft. After acquiring the catalytic converters, he resold most of them to Dowa Metals & Mining, a metal refinery that then extracted the powdered precious metals embedded in the devices. The scheme leveraged an international value chain: stolen automotive components were funneled into a refinery network where precious metals were recovered and sold, creating substantial financial returns for the conspirators.
Khanna pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to receive, possess, and dispose of stolen goods in interstate commerce and five counts of money laundering arising from his participation in the stolen goods scheme. In civil and criminal terms, the charges reflect both the illicit acquisition and the deliberate laundering of proceeds derived from the theft operation. The case underscores the way criminal networks move stolen goods across jurisdictions and convert illicit gains into legitimate-looking assets.
The U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Clint Johnson, underscored the impact of the theft ring on law-abiding motorists and communities. He stated that the ring took advantage of hardworking citizens by stealing catalytic converters and rendering the vehicles inoperable, a hallmark of the coercive disruption caused by the scheme. In praising law enforcement partners, Johnson also highlighted the Tulsa Police Department’s role and the ongoing cooperative effort among agencies to dismantle the network and bring participants to justice.
Khanna faces a maximum possible sentence ranging from 14 years to 17½ years in prison for the conspiracy count, along with substantial penalties for the money laundering counts. The sentencing range reflects the gravity of theft across multiple states and the calculated efforts to launder proceeds obtained through criminal activity. While the precise sentencing decision rests with the presiding judge, the plea agreement signals a substantial federal penalty designed to deter similar conspiracies in the future.
How the Theft Ring Operated
The structure and reach of Khanna’s operation illustrate how catalytic converter theft rings functioned across a broad geographic footprint. The contrived network leveraged a blend of theft, receipt, transport, and disposal of stolen converters, with a clear emphasis on maximizing the value recovered from the precious metals contained within the devices.
From the spring of 2020 through the fall of 2022, the ring orchestrated the purchase of large quantities of catalytic converters from disparate locations—primarily in Oklahoma, Texas, and other states—and coordinated their movement to New Jersey. The plan depended on a flow of devices that could be quickly moved, minimally scrutinized, and subsequently funneled into legitimate-sounding processing streams at refineries and recycling facilities.
The central role of D.G. Auto Parts in New Jersey is underscored by Khanna’s own statements in the plea. He acknowledged that after acquiring these converters, the majority were resold to Dowa Metals & Mining, a refinery that extracts the powdered precious metals—platinum, palladium, and rhodium—contained in the converters. This arrangement reflects the high-value metals market that makes catalytic converters a target for criminal networks, given the high prices for platinum group metals and the growing demand for recycled materials.
In practical terms, the ring’s operations involved:
- Coordinated sourcing of stolen converters from multiple states, leveraging networks that could supply large quantities.
- Transportation logistics designed to move the devices to a centralized processing path, ultimately converging in New Jersey.
- Resale to a refinery infrastructure capable of chemically processing the devices to recover precious metals.
- Laundering of proceeds to obscure the illicit origins of the funds and assets accumulated through the operation.
The complexity of the scheme underscores why federal authorities pursued charges that encompassed both conspiracy to receive and dispose of stolen goods and multiple counts of money laundering, highlighting the intertwined nature of theft and financial crime in this case.
The Tulsa Stop and the Nationwide Surge in Thefts
The case’s trajectory began to come into focus in May 2021, when Tulsa police officers stopped a pickup truck and discovered nearly 130 catalytic converters in the bed of the vehicle. An off-duty officer had raised suspicions about the truck, prompting a traffic stop that ultimately revealed the scale of the operation hidden in plain sight in a seemingly ordinary vehicle. This arrest served as a catalyst for a nationwide investigation into catalytic converter thefts, a trend that had been escalating across multiple states.
The timing of the Tulsa discovery aligned with a nationwide surge in catalytic converter thefts, an uptick driven by the value of the precious metals contained within the devices. The metals—platinum, palladium, and rhodium—are among the most valuable components recovered in post-theft processing, creating a lucrative incentive for criminal networks to target vehicles equipped with catalytic converters. The broader context of thefts during this period is essential to understanding why agencies across jurisdictions intensified enforcement and pursued complex multi-state cases like Khanna’s.
The Tulsa case thus stands as a concrete focal point in the national effort to curb catalytic converter thefts. It offered investigators a tangible link between stolen devices and the money laundering mechanisms that circulated proceeds to support the criminal enterprise. The stop also demonstrated the value of interagency collaboration, with local police, federal prosecutors, and refinery partners collectively identifying and dismantling segments of an expansive network.
The Plea and the D.G. Auto Parts Connection
Khanna’s plea frames him as the principal architect behind the operation, at least in the view of the federal government. In his plea agreement, he acknowledged his ownership and operation of D.G. Auto Parts and his role in orchestrating the purchase, transport, and redistribution of stolen converters across state lines. The plea documents emphasize that the converters were moved from the Oklahoma and Texas regions into New Jersey, where the devices were resold to a refinery network.
Critical to the plea is Khanna’s admission regarding the end-use of the stolen devices. He stated that after purchasing the catalytic converters, he resold most of them to Dowa Metals & Mining, the refinery at the heart of the metal-extraction chain. The refinery then extracted the powdered precious metals from the converters, enabling the conversion of stolen property into valuable commodities. This admission underscores the link between theft and the downstream processing of precious metals, a connection central to the economic calculus of these crimes.
Khanna’s plea also details the scope of charges: one count of conspiracy to receive, possess, and dispose of stolen goods in interstate commerce and five counts of money laundering. This charging structure reflects the dual concerns of physical theft and the subsequent laundering of proceeds, illustrating how financial crime intersections can compound penalties and complicate prosecutions.
In the wake of the plea, Khanna is facing a significant potential sentence, with a maximum range that reflects the combined weight of conspiracy and multiple money-laundering counts. The judge’s decision will weigh factors such as the scale of the operation, the number of victims impacted by vehicle immobilization, and the breadth of the multi-jurisdictional network.
Financial Seizures, Assets, and Forfeitures
The government’s pursuit of the proceeds of the crime extended beyond the converters themselves. In conjunction with the plea, Khanna agreed to surrender approximately $4 million in cash and 11 luxury vehicles. The list of vehicles reportedly included a Lamborghini, two Mercedes-AMGs, two Ferraris, a McLaren, a Porsche, a Ford F650 Truck, and a BMW M3, illustrating the level of personal assets amassed in connection with the scheme. These assets serve as tangible indicators of the scale and profitability of the operation and demonstrate the tangible impact of the crimes on Khanna’s lifestyle.
Authorities also seized a broad array of other assets during the execution of search warrants at Khanna’s properties. The seizure included real estate properties, high-end jewelry, gold bars, and more than 200 pallets of catalytic converters. The scope of these seizures underscores the extensive footprint of the operation and the extent to which law enforcement pursued both the physical stolen goods and the financial gains generated by the scheme.
The combination of cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, precious metals, and real estate reflects a comprehensive approach to asset forfeiture intended to disrupt the financial incentives that fuel similar criminal enterprises. The government’s case illustrates how seizures can be used not only to punish but also to deter future theft rings by stripping away the resources that enable ongoing criminal activity.
Dowa Metals & Mining: The Refinery Connection
Dowa Metals & Mining, the refinery that received most of the stolen converters, operates a facility in Burlington, New Jersey, which has played a key role in converter recycling since 2016. The company is a subsidiary of Japan-based Dowa Holdings Co., a component of the Nikkei 225 stock market index. The court filings and public statements indicate that Dowa Metals was the primary purchaser of Khanna’s stolen converters for processing, linking the criminal network directly to the refinery ecosystem where precious metals are recovered and monetized.
Despite the link to the stolen goods, Dowa Metals has not been charged in connection with Khanna’s case. The company’s role, as described in the plea documents and press materials, appears centered on its function as a refinery that extracted metals from the converters. While Dowa’s involvement in the broader market for converter recycling is acknowledged, prosecutors did not bring charges against the refinery in this particular matter. The relationship highlights how legitimate recycling industries can intersect with illicit supply chains when stolen property is introduced into the processing stream.
The Dowa connection also reinforces the importance of supply-chain transparency and due diligence within the recycling and refining sector. As authorities continue to pursue the criminal networks behind catalytic converter thefts, the collaboration between law enforcement and legitimate industrial operators remains a critical angle for preventing similar schemes and ensuring compliance with legal standards in metal recovery.
Other Participants and Ongoing Proceedings
The Department of Justice reported that thirteen other individuals have pleaded guilty to roles in the broader converter theft scheme and are awaiting sentencing. This indicates a substantial network of participants beyond Khanna, spanning procurement, transportation, and disposal of stolen catalytic converters across multiple states. The collective actions of these individuals reflect the depth of the operation and the coordinated nature of the crime, emphasizing that the court’s response will address both individual accountability and systemic vulnerabilities exploited by the scheme.
The existence of additional guilty pleas also demonstrates the DOJ’s multi-front approach to dismantling organized theft rings. By pursuing charges against multiple participants, prosecutors aim to disrupt the entire supply chain—from theft to final disposal—while signaling to other potential offenders that law enforcement maintains a persistent and comprehensive focus on catalytic converter theft networks.
In the broader context, the ongoing prosecutions highlight the challenges investigators face in tracing the movement of stolen devices across state lines and identifying the financial flows that accompany such operations. The case underscores the importance of interagency cooperation, compliance within the recycling and refining sectors, and robust financial investigations designed to identify and seize illicit proceeds.
The Broader Trend: Catalytic Converter Thefts and Public Impact
The case sits within a larger national pattern of catalytic converter thefts. Converts are targeted for the precious metals they contain, which can fetch significant sums on the black market and in legitimate recycling markets. The surge in thefts during the period surrounding Khanna’s activities underscores the vulnerability of the auto-repair ecosystem to organized criminal networks that exploit gaps in inventory tracking, salvage pipeline controls, and cross-state transportation.
Automakers, insurers, and local law enforcement agencies have responded with a combination of public awareness campaigns, enhanced policing, and policy discussions about improving the security of catalytic converters. Measures under consideration in various jurisdictions have included stamping or engraving identifiers on converters to aid in tracing and recovery, as well as increasing penalties for theft to deter criminal activity. While these discussions span policy and enforcement strategies, the Khanna case reinforces the central takeaway: catalytic converter theft is not a minor nuisance but a sophisticated, multi-state criminal enterprise that demands comprehensive investigative and prosecutorial responses.
From the perspective of affected drivers, the thefts lead to vehicle downtime, repair costs, and a heightened sense of vulnerability in communities where thefts are most prevalent. The consequences extend beyond the immediate loss of property to the emotional and financial strain on vehicle owners who rely on reliable transportation for work, family needs, and daily life. In responding to these harms, authorities emphasize prevention, rapid recovery, and the pursuit of accountability for those who orchestrate and profit from illicit activity.
Legal Implications and Sentencing Outlook
The legal framework surrounding Khanna’s case reflects the gravity of multi-jurisdictional theft networks and the financial crime components that accompany them. The two-pronged charges—conspiracy to receive, possess, and dispose of stolen goods in interstate commerce and multiple counts of money laundering—carry substantial penalties, reflecting both the theft’s cross-border nature and the laundering of proceeds that sustain ongoing criminal activity.
Khanna’s potential sentence is defined within federal guidelines, with the maximum range currently stated at 14 to 17½ years for the conspiracy charges, coupled with additional considerations for the money laundering counts. The judge will weigh evidence such as the scale of the theft network, the number of converters involved, the financial gains, and the impact on victims, including vehicle owners whose property was stolen and retailers who faced supply chain disruptions.
The plea agreement and subsequent sentencing will consider factors such as Khanna’s level of cooperation, any acceptance of responsibility, and the degree of organization attributed to the operation. Prosecutors may also request additional penalties or asset forfeitures consistent with the severity of the offense and the breadth of the conspiracy.
Statements from Authorities and Stakeholders
Clint Johnson, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, publicly acknowledged the impact of Khanna’s theft ring on the region’s residents. He emphasized that the case demonstrates the dedication and collaboration of law enforcement partners, including the Tulsa Police Department, in bringing the scheme to justice. Johnson’s statements reflect a broader commitment to pursuing cases that cross jurisdictional lines and disrupt criminal networks at multiple points in the supply chain.
In addition to the official statements, authorities highlighted the need to protect communities from the disruptions caused by catalytic converter thefts. Law enforcement messaging has often focused on awareness—urging vehicle owners to be vigilant, report suspicious activity, and understand the potential consequences of theft rings that profit from stolen components.
Ongoing Investigations and Future Prospects
With thirteen other participants having pled guilty, investigators continue reviewing related financial transactions, logistics arrangements, and possible additional participants who may have contributed to the theft ring’s operations. The scope of the case suggests that more targeted actions could follow, particularly as prosecutors pursue broader asset forfeiture strategies and refine the understanding of how the network moved converters across state lines.
As law enforcement agencies analyze the Doe-warded mechanism by which converters entered the pipeline and the subsequent processing steps at refineries like Dowa Metals, future prosecutions may expand to address broader supply-chain vulnerabilities and the roles of supporting entities in the illicit ecosystem. The cross-border nature of the scheme also invites continued collaboration with federal and international partners to deter similar operations in the future.
Preparedness for Vehicle Owners and Industry
For vehicle owners, repair shops, and auto parts businesses, the Khanna case underscores the importance of diligence in the handling and sale of catalytic converters. Establishing transparent procurement practices, verifying supplier credentials, and maintaining meticulous records can help reduce the risk of inadvertently supporting illicit networks. Industry players are reminded of the need for robust compliance programs, timely reporting of suspicious activity, and robust chain-of-custody practices for recovered or salvaged converters.
Communities can also benefit from heightened awareness about the dangers and consequences of catalytic converter thefts. Education about the security of parking areas, the value of property, and the necessity of prompt reporting can contribute to deterrence and quicker recovery when thefts occur. While enforcement actions like Khanna’s case are essential, preventive measures and community engagement play a crucial role in reducing the prevalence and impact of converter thefts over time.
Conclusion
The plea by Navin Khanna in an Oklahoma federal court marks a significant chapter in the federal crackdown on catalytic converter theft rings. By admitting his role as the owner and operator of a New Jersey-based operation that trafficked stolen converters across state lines—ultimately selling them to a refinery that extracted precious metals—the case illustrates the intricate web of theft, transport, disposal, and financial laundering that underpins these crimes. The approximately $4 million in cash, 11 luxury vehicles, and extensive asset seizures underscore the scale of the operation and the broad reach of law enforcement’s pursuit.
The broader context—an escalating nationwide surge in catalytic converter thefts—serves as a stark reminder of the value placed on platinum group metals and the vulnerability of vehicle owners and industries to these schemes. The involvement of Dowa Metals & Mining as the refinery receiving the converters highlights the intersection of legitimate recycling networks and illicit activity, a dynamic that law enforcement and industry stakeholders continue to monitor closely.
With thirteen other participants having pleaded guilty and awaiting sentencing, the Khanna case also demonstrates the capacity of federal authorities to dismantle multi-state criminal networks through coordinated investigations and asset forfeiture strategies. The statements from U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson emphasize the commitment to pursuing justice for victims and safeguarding communities from the disruptive impact of catalytic converter thefts.
In sum, this case provides a stark example of how thefts targeting high-value automotive components are investigated, prosecuted, and deterred through comprehensive legal action, interagency cooperation, and a robust framework for recovering illicit proceeds. It also serves as a warning to criminal networks that the combination of cross-state coordination, financial investigations, and aggressive asset forfeiture will continue to be a central strategy in the fight against catalytic converter thefts and related crimes.