BOSTON – The leader of a regional organized theft crew, who orchestrated the thefts of catalytic converters from nearly 500 vehicles across the region, multiple jewelry store robberies and the stealing of ATMs was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston. A precipitous decline in catalytic converter thefts has been reported in Massachusetts as a result of the takedown – with nine reported incidents of catalytic converter theft over the past 18 months following the arrests, in comparison to the hundreds of thefts reported during the nine-month period prior.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Justice, 36-year-old Rafael Davila, a/k/a “Robbin Hood,” of Springfield, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Davila was also ordered to pay restitution of approximately $157,000 and complete 75 hours of community service at a food pantry. Additionally, Davila was ordered to forfeit a significant number of assets – including a Chevrolet Suburban, an Acura MDX, two motorcycles, six dirt bikes and two jet skis – that were acquired with proceeds of the offenses to which he pleaded guilty or were involved in the money laundering conspiracy. In April 2024, Davila pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce; interstate transportation of stolen property; conspiracy commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit bank theft; and bank theft.
In April 2023, Rafael Davila was arrested and charged along with six others in connection with the theft, transportation and sale of stolen catalytic converters taken from nearly 500 vehicles across Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 2022 through April 2023. It is believed that a significant number of additional thefts have not been identified or were never reported to law enforcement…