Tou Sue Vang ran a profitable family business in Sacramento with his brother, Andrew, and his mother, Monica Moua.

But the lucrative family enterprise was illegal and involved buying stolen catalytic converters in a scheme that made more than $38 million for the family, according to authorities.

On Tuesday, Tou Sue Vang, 33, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in the theft ring, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office in the Eastern District of California.

In 2023, Vang, along with his brother and mother, pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport stolen catalytic converters bought from local thieves and selling them to a New Jersey buyer for more than $38 million, officials said. Vang also pleaded guilty to 39 additional money-laundering charges. Vang’s brother and mother are awaiting sentencing.