• Navin Khanna of New Jersey pleaded guilty in Oklahoma federal court to leading a catalytic converter theft ring worth over $600 million. The operation spanned multiple states, with stolen devices sold to a metal refinery that extracted precious metals. The case highlights growing federal action against high-value auto parts theft schemes nationwide.

TULSA, OK (TDR) — A New Jersey businessman has pleaded guilty in federal court to running a massive interstate catalytic converter theft ring that generated hundreds of millions in illicit proceeds.

Navin Khanna, 41, admitted to orchestrating a sophisticated criminal enterprise that acquired stolen catalytic converters from multiple states and resold them for precious metal extraction.

Interstate Conspiracy Spanned Three Years

According to a plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court in Tulsa, Khanna operated D.G. Auto Parts out of New Jersey from May 2020 to October 2022. Prosecutors say Khanna conspired with accomplices in Oklahoma, Texas, and other states to collect stolen converters and transport them to his facility.

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The scheme was uncovered in May 2021, when Tulsa police stopped a truck carrying nearly 130 catalytic converters. The discovery followed a tip from an off-duty officer.

“These devices were removed from vehicles by criminal actors and funneled into a black-market supply chain,” federal officials said.

Extracting Precious Metals, Laundering Proceeds

Khanna told the court he sold most of the stolen auto parts to Dowa Metals & Mining, a New Jersey refinery known for extracting platinum, palladium, and rhodium—valuable elements found in converters.

“After purchasing these catalytic converters, I resold most of them to Dowa Metals & Mining, which would then extract the powdered precious metals,” Khanna admitted in the plea deal.

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Dowa Metals, a subsidiary of Japan’s Dowa Holdings Co., has not been charged in connection with the case.

Khanna pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce and five counts of money laundering. He faces between 14 and 17½ years in prison.

Federal Seizures Total Millions in Assets

As part of the plea, Khanna agreed to forfeit nearly $4 million in cash and a fleet of luxury vehicles, including Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and McLarens. Authorities also seized real estate, high-end jewelry, gold bars, and over 200 pallets of catalytic converters.

“This prosecution reflects our commitment to dismantling large-scale theft rings and protecting consumers from organized criminal networks,” the Justice Department said.

Will Khanna’s sentencing set a new precedent for prosecuting black-market auto part thefts?

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