The defendant made $600 million from a multi-state operation that fueled purchases of real estate properties, high-end jewelry, gold bars and luxury vehicles
Holmdel, N.J.—A New Jersey man pleaded guilty in July in federal court in the Northern District of Oklahoma to leading a multi-state operation that stole thousands of catalytic converters from private vehicles and sold them on a secondary market for millions of dollars, based on the value of the precious metals that the converters contain.
Navin Khanna, 41, of Holmdel, N.J., admitted to being the owner and operator of D.G. Auto Parts, a criminal enterprise that bought and sold auto parts across the country.
He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to receive, possess, and dispose of stolen goods in interstate commerce and five counts of money laundering regarding his participation in the stolen goods scheme.
“The defendant made $600 million and financed his ostentatious lifestyle by buying and selling stolen goods,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
From May 2020 through October 2022, Khanna conspired with others to purchase and transport large quantities of stolen catalytic converters from Oklahoma, Texas, and other states to New Jersey. Khanna admitted to receiving more than $600 million by reselling the stolen catalytic converters to a metal refinery that extracted the precious metals.
In response to a drastic increase in catalytic converter thefts throughout Tulsa in 2020, the Tulsa Police Department initiated an investigation that soon uncovered a national criminal enterprise. During the investigation, search warrants were executed in Oklahoma, Texas, California, New Jersey and New York.
Khanna was indicted by federal grand juries in the Northern District of Oklahoma and the Eastern District of California. Over 20 individuals throughout the country have been charged for their role in the conspiracy. Khanna’s 13 co-defendants in the Northern District of Oklahoma have pleaded guilty for their participation in the criminal scheme and are awaiting sentencing.
As part of his plea agreement, Khanna agreed to forfeit almost $4 million in cash, 11 luxury vehicles — including a Lamborghini, two Mercedes AMGs, two Ferraris, a McLaren, a Porsche, a Ford F650 Truck, and a BMW M3 — real estate properties, high-end jewelry, gold bars, and over 200 pallets of catalytic converters, all seized by law enforcement during the execution of search warrants at Khanna’s properties.
Khanna’s co-defendants have agreed to forfeit more than $3.2 million, including more than $250,000 from multiple bank accounts; two lots of land located in Oklahoma, cars, and stolen catalytic converters seized during the investigation.
Khanna faces a maximum penalty of 168 to 210 months in prison.
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