Milford Man Attacked, Cut With Saw During Theft, 1 Man Sentenced: Feds

NEW HAVEN, CT — Michael Almodovar, 31, of New Haven, will spend 14 months in a federal prison for stealing and selling catalytic converters across the state from March to May 2022, according to the US Attorney for Connecticut, Vanessa Roberts Avery.

Sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Hartford, his prison term will be followed by three years of supervised release, "for his participation in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring," Avery's news release reads.

According to federal prosecutors, in one incident, while Almodovar was in the process of stealing a catalytic converter from a car in a parking lot in Milford, he was interrupted by a witness who used his cellphone to take pictures of Almodovar and attacked the man. Read that story from Patch here.

"Almodovar attacked the witness, smashed his car window, cut him with the saw he used to steal the converter, and then fled," the Justice Department news release reads, and "the next day," he sold six converters for $2,180.

According to Avery, court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement has been investigating the theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut. It's explained by Justice that a "catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves." The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component, Avery noted.

The investigation revealed that Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC (“Downpipe Depot”), which had a warehouse on Park Avenue in East Hartford, purchased stolen catalytic converters from a network of thieves, including Almodovar, and then transported and sold the catalytic converters to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey, federal prosecutors said.

Business records seized during the investigation revealed that, between March 2022 and May 2022, Downpipe Depot paid Almodovar $34,445 for catalytic converters, per Avery.

Almodovar was arrested on November 28, 2023 and on March 27, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, and interstate transportation of stolen property.