Two Salvadoran nationals, Erick Alfaro Guevara, 46, and Jose Wilmer Ortiz Granados, 23, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy related to the interstate transportation and sale of stolen goods. Court documents indicate that starting in September 2024, both individuals stole catalytic converters from vehicles in Virginia and sold them in Maryland. They communicated using their cellphones and typically committed the thefts at night or early morning hours using saws to remove the parts from parked cars.
On December 18, 2024, Alfaro Guevara and Ortiz Granados traveled from Maryland to Arlington County where they broke into several vehicles and took catalytic converters. Law enforcement officers later responded to a single-car accident in Anne Arundel County, Maryland involving the vehicle used by the defendants. By the time officers arrived, both men had left the scene. Investigators recovered 17 stolen catalytic converters along with Alfaro Guevara’s cellphone.
Ortiz Granados entered his guilty plea on July 1 and is set for sentencing on September 30. Alfaro Guevara pleaded guilty yesterday; his sentencing is scheduled for October 28. Both face a maximum sentence of five years in prison; however, actual sentences are usually lower than the statutory maximum as federal judges consider U.S. Sentencing Guidelines among other factors.
Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, stated: “Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Fisher are handling prosecution duties.
Additional information can be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia as well as through court records available via PACER by searching Case Nos. 1:25-cr-160 (Otiz Granados) and 1:25-cr-224 (Alfaro Guevara).
