Theodore Nicholas Papouloglou Wednesday pleaded not guilty to the four federal counts lodged against him for illicit catalytic converter sales, according to court records.

He requested a jury trial and waived his right to a formal arraignment.

According to documents filed today, the government did not seek detention and allowed his pretrial release based on numerous conditions.

The next step in the case is a telephone conference on March 26 in Richmond before District Judge David J. Novak.

A true bill of indictment charges Papouloglou in counts one and two with evasion of income tax assessments; in count three conspiracy to transfer, receive, conceal and sell stolen goods; and in count four operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.

The indictment says the Roanoke Rapids man in November of 2020 incorporated DG Auto South LLC in Emporia as a scrap metal business which routinely purchased and sold automotive parts, including catalytic converters. It also operated as a money transmission business in connection with the purchase and sale of catalytic converters.

In November of 2019 Papouloglou incorporated Strategic Converter & Cores, a limited liability company registered to his mother's address in Gaston, a company the indictment refers to as an alter ego of the Virginia business.

According to the conditions of his pretrial release Papouloglou is:

Not allowed to travel outside the Commonwealth of Virginia or North Carolina without the permission of the court or pretrial services.

All travel between North Carolina and Virginia shall be the most direct route.

He is required to surrender any passport to pretrial services or counsel and may not obtain a passport or other international travel document.

He must avoid contact with anyone related to the case including victims or witnesses and any co-defendant, co-conspirator, informant, jurors, or officers.

Papouloglou is not to possess firearms, destructive devices or other weapons.

He must submit to testing for prohibited substances and not use them.

His pretrial release will be home detention except for employment, education, religious services, medical appointments and court visits.

He is to submit to location monitoring technology, report to pretrial services, and maintain contact with his attorney.

He is not allowed to move from his address on file with pretrial services.

He is not allowed to have contact with certain parties related to the case or two companies related to the case.

There is to be no purchase, receipt, sale possession of any catalytic converters and he is not allowed to open lines of credit without the approval of pretrial services or the court. 

He must provide pretrial services with access to any financial information as requested.