Feds Arrest 21 People In A Large-Scale Catalytic Converter Stealing Operation

Indictments against 21 people were made public by the Department of Justice on Wednesday. They are suspected of leading a large-scale catalytic converter theft operation that operated from California to New Jersey.

Because they contain valuable metals like platinum and rhodium, catalytic converters, which lessen the amount of pollution produced by an automobile’s engine, are becoming more and more popular targets for thieves.

Each catalytic converter can sell for more than $1,000 on the illicit market, and because they lack a serial number or VIN, they are difficult to trace.

Christopher Wray, director of the FBI, stated in a statement that “this broad network of criminals impacted individuals across the country.” “On the backs of thousands of innocent car owners, they made hundreds of millions of dollars in the process.

In one of the indictments unsealed on Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California laid out how a ring of thieves in the Golden State allegedly purchased stolen catalytic converters, then shipped them to DG Auto Parts in New Jersey for processing.