Springfield man sentenced for scheme to transport stolen catalytic converters across state lines

(From the U. S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri)

A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a scheme to transport tens of thousands of stolen catalytic converters across state lines as part of a multi-million-dollar business.

Eric Kaltenbach, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to four years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Kaltenbach to pay $2,625 in restitution to four identified victims whose catalytic converter he stole (most of the victims could not be identified due to the nature of the crime).

On April 25, 2022, Kaltenbach pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines.

Overall, the conspiracy resulted in the theft of tens of thousands of catalytic converters, totaling an aggregate value of at least $1 million. Kaltenbach stole at least 80 catalytic converters from numerous victims throughout the entire southwest region of Missouri, from January 2020 and throughout 2021. He sold the stolen catalytic converters for a total of at least $20,000 to co-defendants Evan Marshall, 25, and Camren Joseph Davis, 26, both of Rogersville, Mo., and Cody Ryder, 31, of Springfield.

In July 2021, Kaltenbach stole a catalytic converter from a victim’s car in Rogersville and was captured on surveillance footage, which was published on social media. When Kaltenbach went to sell the stolen catalytic converter, Marshall would not purchase it because he had seen the surveillance footage and was upset with Kaltenbach for stealing a catalytic converter in the town in which he lived. Marshall instructed Kaltenbach to not steal catalytic converters in Rogersville; after this incident, Kaltenbach did not steal catalytic converters from vehicles in Rogersville but continued to steal catalytic converters from victims’ vehicles in Springfield. At times, Kaltenbach sold five or six stolen catalytic converters per transaction.

Marshall, Ryder, and Davis were each sentenced on Dec. 20, 2022, after pleading guilty to their roles in the conspiracy.

Marshall was sentenced to five years and 10 months in federal prison without parole. The court also imposed a $750,000 money judgment against Marshall to be forfeited to the government, ordered Marshall to pay $19,133 in restitution to victims of the conspiracy who law enforcement were able to identify, and forfeiture to the government of the following items that were seized by law enforcement: 33 rifles, 20 scopes, six shotguns, 26 handguns, a Glock sub conversion kit, eight ammunition magazines, a 2011 Ram 3500 one-ton pickup, a 2004 Dodge Ram, a flatbed trailer, two 42-foot gooseneck flatbed trailers, a 16-foot livestock trailer, a 2021 Load N Go utility trailer, a 2007 car hauler trailer, a Volkswagen dune buggy, two Harley Davidson motorcycles, a 2012 Keystone 5th wheel camper, a Caterpillar skid steer, a 2019 Honda Talon SXS 1000 side by side, a 2016 Polaris RZR side by side, a Polaris Ranger 4x4, and 191 catalytic converters.

Ryder was sentenced to two years and five months in federal prison without parole. Davis was sentenced to five years of probation. The court imposed money judgments against Ryder and Davis to forfeit to the government $125,000 each.

Co-defendant Enx Khoshaba, 30, of Springfield, was sentenced on June 1, 2023, to four years in federal prison without parole and ordered to pay $15,986 in restitution. Co-defendant Danielle Ice, 35, of Springfield, was sentenced on to 18 months in federal prison without parole and ordered to pay $1,355 in restitution.

Co-defendant Leslie Ice, 38, of Springfield has pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 27, 2023.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon T. Kempf. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Webster County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri Department of Revenue and the Greene County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney.