Police: Catalytic converter theft law is not working

Connecticut police say the weight and reach of the federal government is needed to hobble organized crime rings cashing in on the thriving black market for catalytic converters.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he supports federal help to curb the rampant thefts and would back more resources for law enforcement.

Local police say aid is welcome and necessary. Cheshire Police Chief Neil Dryfe, head of the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association, noted a joint investigation last year of an East Hartford-based catalytic converter theft operation that federal authorities say hauled in at least a half-million dollars. Ring members sold the hot converters in New York and New Jersey, federal authorities said, easily skirting a state law that took effect last July focusing on Connecticut scrap yards.

"The perception among Connecticut police officials has been that most stolen catalytic converters are ultimately being sold out of state," Dryfe said. "The partnership between various federal agencies and the local police department resulted in the entire operation being shut down and the seizure of significant assets.

"This type of case is much more likely to disrupt the market for stolen catalytic converters than the arrest of suspects caught in the act of committing the thefts," Dryfe said. "The CPCA values our partnerships with federal law enforcement agencies, the U.S. Attorney's Office and Sen. Blumenthal, and we welcome any additional support they can provide to help us disrupt what has become a serious crime problem in Connecticut."

South Windsor Police Sgt. Mark Cleverdon said it's a "tall task" to stop catalytic converter thieves, but federal assistance will go a long way in that effort.

"The more resources available on any level to address these thefts, the better," he said. "The goal of any funding should be to try and cut out the ability of the thieves to have a viable and convenient option to sell the catalytic converters This is certainly a tall task, but we also know this is not just a Connecticut issue, and there is no doubt that federal assistance, via manpower or money, could certainly help us at a local level."

In November, federal, state and local law enforcement partners made multiple arrests across five states in converter theft rings centered in California and Oklahoma, revealing astounding paydays for those involved at the top of the criminal enterprise

In the ongoing national surge in converter thefts, California has been the hardest hit, accounting for 37 percent of the stolen exhaust components. In Sacramento, brothers, Tou Sue Vang, 31, and Andrew Vang, 27, and Monica Moua, 51, bought stolen converters from local thieves and shipped them to DG Auto Parts LLC in New Jersey for processing, according to federal court documents. The Vang family sold over $38 million in stolen converters to DG Auto, federal authorities said.

Six people associated with DG Auto, which has several locations around New Jersey, have been accused of knowingly purchasing the stolen catalytic converters, federal officials said. Through a "de-canning" process, they extracted precious metal powders from the converters and sold them to a refinery for over $545 million, officials said.

In Oklahoma, defendants also are charged with buying converters from street thieves and selling them to DG Auto. Over the course of the conspiracy, Tyler James Curtis received over $13 million in wired funds from DG Auto, federal authorities said. Adam G. Sharkey received over $45 million in wired funds from DG Auto, and defendant Martynas Macerauskas received over $6 million in payments from the New Jersey business for catalytic converters, federal officials said.

On hard-hit Long Island, Sen. Chuck Schumer recently promised federal help to communities where converter thefts have skyrocketed.

"The federal government, at my request, I believe will cooperate with the Nassau Police Department to go after these guys because a lot of them are rings," Schumer said.

He also said that more federal resources are needed to crack down on the converter crime rings and would call for a special U.S. Department of Justice response team to help local law enforcement.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau, which tracks auto crimes, reported in January that vehicle thefts, carjackings and catalytic converter thefts were all nearing record highs. Converter thefts nationally rose 1,215 percent between 2019 and 2022, the NICB reported, a surge corresponding to the increasing value of precious metals inside the exhaust system components.

Claims data from State Farm, the largest auto insurer in the U.S., show that from July 2021 to June 2022, catalytic converter theft grew 109 percent nationally compared with the previous 12 months. During the more recent period, about 43,219 converters were stolen and reported by State Farm customers compared with about 20,600 in the previous 12 months (July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021), the company reported.

To help curb converter thefts, the NICB has partnered with businesses across the U.S. to hold VIN etching events. Etching the identification number on converters adds another layer of protection, NICB President David J. Glawe said. Shelton police recently purchased 150 catalytic converter label ID kits, which allow owners to register an identification number on their catalytic converter with a national police database.

Catalytic converter theft prevention guards are also available.The Toyota Prius is among the most targeted vehicles and dealerships are offering a theft shield option on 2023 models.

"For $140 plus the price of dealer installation, a Prius owner with a Cat Shield has a better chance of keeping a car component that can cost more than $1,000 new and that the vehicle won't run without," according to Autoblog.

Converter thefts remain grossly unreported, according to NICB. Some victims don't call police or insurers because the replacement cost ($1,500 to $5,000) is less than or only slightly higher than deductibles on many insurance policies. Other victims lack any coverage for the loss.

A bill before the Connecticut legislature, introduced by state Rep. Gary Turco, D-Newington, would require auto insurance policies issued or renewed in the state to cover the full retail reimbursement of a stolen catalytic converter, excluding the cost of the policyholder's deductible.

State Rep. Kara Rochelle, a Democrat whose district includes Ansonia and Derby, has introduced a bill that would require a license to possess more than one detached catalytic converter and establish as yet unspecified penalties for the unlicensed possession of more than one detached converter.

Other states have enacted or are considering laws to combat converter theft. This year, the NICB expects proposed legislation in at least 11 states to set or harden rules on scrap yards and increase penalties on those involved in the illicit trade, organization spokesperson Danielle Naspinski said Monday. At the federal level, U.S. Rep. Jim Baird, R-Indiana, has introduced legislation meant to curb converter thefts by marking identifying information on the devices, addressing how the parts are purchased and strengthening enforceability of converter theft for local law enforcement.