Feds say catalytic converter resale ring had East Hartford base

Alex Wood, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·3 min read

Aug. 25—The owner of a business with an East Hartford location and an East Hartford resident who helped manage the business are facing charges of conspiring to sell catalytic converters stolen from vehicles in Connecticut to buyers in New York and New Jersey for a total of more than $500.000.

RESALE RING

DEFENDANTS: Alexander Kolitsas, 28, of Wolcott, owner of Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC; Bryant Bermudez, 31, of East Hartford, who helped manage Downpipe Depot; Roberto Alicea, 30, of New Britain; Francisco Ayala, 22, of Ansonia; and Theodore Roosevelt Owens, 21, of Hartford, accused of being "suppliers" of stolen catalytic converters.

CHARGES: All charged with conspiracy and one or more counts of interstate transportation of stolen property. Kolitsas is facing additional money laundering charges and a charge of possession of firearms by an unlawful drug user or addict.

Alexander Kolitsas, 28, of Wolcott, is identified in a federal indictment, returned last week by a grand jury, as the owner of Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC, which had a warehouse at 191 Park Ave. in East Hartford.

Kolitsas is the first-named defendant in the indictment, frequently an indication that federal authorities believe a defendant was the leader of a criminal enterprise. He turned himself in Wednesday and was released on $150,000 bond, authorities say.

The second-named defendant is Bryant Bermudez, 31, of East Hartford, who began working with Kolitsas last November, sharing responsibility for daily management of Downpipe Depot, according to the indictment. He was arrested Tuesday and released on $150,000 bond, authorities say.

Three other defendants — Roberto Alicea, 30, of New Britain; Francisco Ayala, 22, of Ansonia; and Theodore Roosevelt Owens, 21, of Hartford — are identified in the indictment as "suppliers" of catalytic converters to Downpipe Depot, although it says they weren't the only ones. All three are in state or federal custody, authorities say.

The indictment alleges that the suppliers arranged for delivery of stolen catalytic converters to Kolitsas' Wolcott home, to Maples Restaurant on Straits Turnpike in Middlebury, and to the East Hartford warehouse.

The indictment accuses Kolitsas and Bermudez of keeping guns at Kolitsas' home and the warehouse to protect their inventory and the cash they received when they sold converters.

It says Kolitsas sold a load of catalytic converters on Oct. 14 in Freehold, New Jersey, for a $237,329 wire transfer, and sold two loads, on March 10 and 18, in Island Park, New York, for about $148,300 and $150,000 in cash, respectively.

Catalytic converters reduce pollutants in vehicle exhaust by converting pollutants to carbon dioxide and water through a chemical reaction that is often catalyzed by a precious metal, according to the indictment.

Because these metals are currently selling for high prices, the indictment says, "the average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component."

Each of the five defendants is charged with conspiracy, which carries up to five years in prison, and one or more counts of interstate transportation of stolen property, which carries up to 10 years.

In addition, Kolitsas is charged with money-laundering crimes carrying up to 10 and 20 years in prison and with possession of firearms by an unlawful drug user or addict, which carries up to 10 years.

In a separate case, Owens is accused of possessing crack cocaine and a 9mm pistol from a pallet of 50 such guns stolen in August 2021 from the R&L Carriers warehouse on Sullivan Avenue in South Windsor.

For updates on Glastonbury, and recent crime and courts coverage in North-Central Connecticut, follow Alex Wood on Twitter: @AlexWoodJI1, Facebook: Alex Wood, and Instagram: @AlexWoodJI.