Five men were indicted by a Westchester County grand jury in connection with the theft of 56 van and bus catalytic converters in Pelham Manor, Briarcliff, Greenburgh, Peekskill and Yonkers, according to Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah.

A year-long investigation of the five-month converter-stealing spree was conducted by 13 law enforcement agencies, said Rocah in a press release Wednesday. The probe led to a 24-count indictment of the five men and their “coordinated takedown” on criminal charges related to stealing converters with a market value of more than $50,000, she said.

The DA’s office “initiated the investigation with the Briarcliff Manor Police Department, the Greenburgh Police Department, the New Rochelle Police Department and the Pelham Manor Police Department, which identified Timothy Jimenez, 24; Christian Ancrum, 23, and Jason Vargas, 19, all of New Rochelle, and Joealen Garcia, 31, of Orlando, as the individuals who allegedly participated in the theft of a total of 56 catalytic converters from Ford Econoline vans, Royal Coach Lines buses and school buses in Briarcliff, Greenburgh, Peekskill, Pelham and Yonkers on 11 different occasions between Nov. 21, 2021 and March 28, 2022,” said Roach. “At least 42 of the stolen catalytic converters were recovered in a Bronx scrap yard.”

“The investigation also identified a fifth defendant, Nicholas Luzardi, 23, of New Rochelle, who is alleged to have been in possession of stolen catalytic convertors in Pelham Manor on Jan. 28. 2022.”

Jimenez, Vargas and Luzardi were arraigned in Westchester County Court on Dec. 22. Ancrum is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 5. Garcia will be arraigned following his arrest.

According to the DA’s office, the grand jury indicted the defendants on the following charges:

• Jimenez was charged with six counts of grand larceny in the third degree, six counts of auto stripping in the first degree, three counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree and criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree, all felonies, and three counts of auto stripping in the third degree, misdemeanors.
• Ancrum was charged with two counts of grand larceny in the third degree, two counts of auto stripping in the first degree, three counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree and three counts of auto stripping in the third degree.
• Garcia was charged with two counts of grand larceny in the third degree, two counts of auto stripping in the first degree and criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree.
• Vargas was charged with three counts of grand larceny in the third degree, three counts of auto stripping in the first degree, grand larceny in the fourth degree and auto stripping in the third degree.
• Luzardi was charged with criminal possession of stolen property in the third degree.

Assisting in the investigation were the Mount Pleasant Police Department, the North Castle Police Department, the Peekskill Police Department, the Yonkers Police Department, the Westchester County Department of Public Safety, the New York Police Department, the New York State Police and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.