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Sep 11, 2023

Springfield

Three Springfield-area men who federal prosecutors say led a

Three Springfield-area men who federal prosecutors say led a multi-million-dollar stolen catalytic converter operation were sentenced Monday in federal court.

Two of the men will serve time in prison, while the third was sentenced to probation.

Evan Marshall, the 25-year-old lead defendant, was sentenced to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison, ordered to pay a $750,000 money judgment to the government and $19,000 in restitution to known victims. He must also forfeit several trucks, trailers, all-terrain vehicles and dozens of guns.

Cody Ryder, 31, of Springfield, was sentenced to 2 years and 5 months in federal prison. And Camren Joseph Davis, 25, of Rogersville, was sentenced to five years of probation. The court imposed money judgments against Ryder and Davis to forfeit to the government $125,000 each.

From the fall of 2019 to December of 2021, court documents say Marshall and his co-defendants acquired tens of thousands of stolen catalytic converters and sold them to a company in Arkansas.

More:How police brought down a $6 million catalytic converter theft ring in Springfield

Catalytic converters, which are part of a vehicle's exhaust system, have become popular targets for thieves across the country because they are relatively easy to access by shimmying underneath a car and the precious metals housed inside have skyrocketed in value.

During a wider investigation into catalytic convert thefts, which had increased drastically over the past few years in Springfield, authorities eventually identified Marshall and through a joint investigation were able to arrest him in October of 2021.

"These three defendants were the ringleaders of a scheme that impacted thousands of area residents," said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore in a news release. "We worked closely with a number of our law enforcement partners to shut down their multi-million-dollar operation and bring the perpetrators to justice."

Co-defendants Enx Khoshaba, 30, Leslie Ice, 38, and Eric Kaltenbach, 38, all of Springfield, and Danielle Ice, 34, of Columbia (formerly of Springfield), have pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines and await sentencing.

Ryder's attorney Jason Coatney said his client was remorseful for his actions. Coatney said he found Judge Doug Harpool to be stern but fair with his sentences when considering how much this group's crimes impacted everyday citizens in Springfield.

Attorney Shane Cantin, who represented Davis, thanked Harpool and the U.S. Attorney's Office for recognizing his client's lesser role in the case.

"In spite of his involvement with these other individuals, Camren is an excellent young man," Cantin said. "I feel that Judge Harpool and the federal prosecutors and investigators correctly recognized Camren's role and his efforts to try to withdraw himself from this conspiracy. We are very pleased with the probation sentence."

An attempt to reach Marshall's attorney for comment was not successful by press time.