Leader of nationwide theft ring who purchased stolen catalytic converters from Sacramento for $38 million pleads guilty

Date: Feb. 27, 2026

Contact: [email protected]

Navin Khanna Holmdel, New Jersey pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, conspiracy to commit promotional money laundering, and interstate transportation of stolen property, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, between October 2019 and March 2024, Navin Khanna and his family members and co-conspirators operated DG Auto and purchased stolen catalytic converters from California and across the nation for more than $600 million. Ten other New Jersey residents and three California residents were charged in this nationwide investigation that dismantled a catalytic converter theft ring.

Catalytic converter theft has become prevalent across the nation because of their value, relative ease of stealing, and their lack of identifying markings. Thieves steal catalytic converters from vehicles on the street for the precious metals they contain, which may be more valuable per ounce than gold, and then sell them to buyers. The black-market price for certain catalytic converters from California, like the Toyota Prius, can be more than $1,200 each.

Navin Khanna purchased more than $38 million of catalytic converters stolen from the Sacramento region from Tou Vang and his family, who operated Vang Auto. Tou Vang would ship Navin Khanna pallets of catalytic converters weighing more than 1,000 pounds and containing a single type of high-value catalytic converter, such as the Toyota Prius. Navin Khanna received so many stolen Toyota Prius catalytic converters that their parts code - GD3EA6 - was put on the vanity license plate of one of Navin Khanna's McLaren's. Tou Vang was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in transporting thousands of stolen catalytic converters across state lines, laundering money, and other related crimes.

This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and with assistance from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, Sacramento Police Department, Davis Police Department, Auburn Police Department, Livermore Police Department, and San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica M.A. Alegría and Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division's Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.

Navin Khanna will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins at a later date.

IRS-CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. It is the only federal law enforcement agency with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code. IRS-CI has 18 field offices located across the U.S. and maintains an international presence through attaché posts abroad.