MEDFORD MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN SECOND CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFT CASE

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced that Daniel Labbe, 43, of Medford, pleaded guilty to Auto Stripping in the Second Degree for stealing catalytic converters from a work truck in Rocky Point. At the time of his plea, Labbe was already serving a prison sentence for a previous catalytic converter theft.

“This defendant has been caught not once, but twice, for stealing catalytic converters from vehicles, causing a disruption to a local business in Suffolk County,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Catalytic converter thefts are a nationwide issue, and we are committed here in Suffolk County to working with law enforcement to crack down on these crimes and prosecuting those responsible to the fullest extent of the law. To those that would seek to steal catalytic converters in Suffolk County, our message is clear – we are watching, and you will be held to account for your actions.”

According to court documents and the defendant’s admissions during his plea allocution, on October 22, 2022 at approximately 8:50 a.m., Labbe removed two catalytic converters from a work truck parked at MJM Plumbing & Mechanical, Inc. on Route 25A in Rocky Point. Catalytic converters are a part of a vehicle’s exhaust device and use precious metals in their center to reduce pollutants from a vehicle’s engine. These precious metals, which include palladium, platinum, and rhodium can be more valuable than gold and make catalytic converters a target for theft. They can be stolen from underneath a vehicle in only a few minutes using a reciprocating saw.

On April 27, 2023, Labbe pleaded guilty before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Timothy P. Mazzei to Auto Stripping in the Second Degree, a Class E felony. Labbe is due back in court on May 17, 2023 and is expected to be sentenced to two to four years in prison. He is being represented by Keith O’Halloran, Esq.

Labbe is currently serving two to four years in prison for a previous catalytic converter theft in which he was sentenced on January 13, 2023.

Labbe’s cases are being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys James Bartens and Blythe C. Miller of the Financial Crimes Bureau.

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Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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