A Providence resident has admitted in federal court to filing false tax returns after failing to declare income from selling stolen catalytic converters, according to an announcement from United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
Daniel Rivera, 36, pleaded guilty to two counts of filing false tax returns. He is scheduled for sentencing on June 17, 2026. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.
Court documents show that Rivera received about $59,890 from the sale of stolen catalytic converters in 2021 and $224,750 in 2022. These amounts were not reported on his federal tax filings, resulting in estimated tax losses of $13,426 for 2021 and $55,930 for 2022.
Investigators say that between January 2021 and November 2022, Rivera and others searched neighborhoods and parking lots in Rhode Island and Massachusetts for unoccupied vehicles from which they could steal catalytic converters. Many of these parts were sold to a Providence-based recycling company identified as Company 1 in court records. The scrap value of a catalytic converter can vary based on its model and precious metal content but generally ranged between $300 and $1,500 during this period.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul F. Daly Jr. and Julie M. White.
Multiple agencies participated in the investigation: the FBI; police departments from Cranston, Providence, Newport, Watertown, Canton, Attleboro, Fall River; Fitchburg State University Police; IRS-Criminal Investigations; United States Marshal Service; National Insurance Crime Bureau; and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General-Criminal Investigations Division.
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