Providence Man Filed False Income Tax Returns On Stolen Catalytic Converter Sales

PROVIDENCE, RI — A Providence man failed to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in income from selling stolen catalytic converters to a Rhode Island scrapyard.

Daniel Rivera, 36, pleaded guilty in federal court to filing false tax returns.

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"According to information presented to the court, Rivera received approximately $59,890 from stolen catalytic converter sales in 2021 and $224,750 in 2022 but failed to report those amounts on his federal income tax returns," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a media release.

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"As a result, Rivera’s false filings caused tax losses of approximately $13,426 for the tax year 2021 and $55,930 for the tax year 2022," the release said.

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"Charging documents reflect that from at least January 2021 until November 2022, Rivera and others canvased neighborhoods and parking lots in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in search of unoccupied vehicles from which they could steal catalytic converters," the release said.

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"Many of the stolen catalytic converters were sold to a Providence company (identified in court documents as Company 1) that recycles catalytic converters," according to the release. "Depending on the model and type of precious metal component, the average scrap price for catalytic converters ranged from $300 to $1,500."

Rivera's sentencing was scheduled for June 17.

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