Call me old fashioned, but I love crime stories involving precious metals–especially gold.
Here are just a few examples:
- Dorchester Man Buys $10m in Gold Bars with Unreported Income, Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion;
- North Attleboro Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing $1m+ in Gold, Silver, and Platinum from Jewelry Company Employer;
- Man Sentenced for Scamming Shrewsbury Estate Out of Gold Coins Worth $290,000
Today we have a new story to added to the list.
This week a federal judge in Boston sentenced Thomas Cataloni, 46, of Walpole to four months in prison followed by one year of supervised release.
In 2018, Cataloni and two coconspirators smuggled gold, platinum and other precious metals into the United States from Colombia.
According to the U.S. District Attorney’s office,
In 2018, Cataloni and his co-conspirators sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to bank accounts in Colombia to pay for gold and platinum to be smuggled into the United States without being declared at U.S. customs. To facilitate the smuggling, the gold and platinum were melted in Colombia and formed to look like crude, unfinished jewelry such as chains, keychains and purse straps. The supposed jewelry was then worn by individuals who flew from Colombia into the United States without declaring the gold and platinum.
Both coconspirators pleaded guilty. One was sentenced last year. The other will be sentenced in the coming months.