HUGE Catalytic Converter Theft Ring Busted in Oregon!
Thankfully these thieves were brought to justice, but this is just the tip of the ice berg. Catalytic converter theft is still on the rise in most parts of the country right now, which stresses even more the need to protect your vehicle! It’s good to know, though, that the government is starting to pay more attention to this particular crime wave.
Original Article: “West Coast crime ring busted for trafficking $22 million in stolen catalytic converters” | MyNorthwest |
“Police in Beaverton, Ore. arrested the alleged leader of a crime ring responsible for stealing and trafficking more than 44,000 stolen catalytic converters since January 2021, with an operation that stretched into Washington state and across the entire West Coast.
Detectives say they identified 32-year-old Brennan Patrick Doyle as the operation’s leader. They searched his home on Lake Oswego last week, along with seven other properties, seizing more than 3,000 catalytic converters.
The crime ring was centered in the Portland metro area, but reached as far as New York and Texas, according to Beaverton police spokesperson Matt Henderson.
Catalytic converters became a hot commodity for theft during the pandemic due to the high-priced metals, including platinum, palladium, and rhodium, within them. Rhodium’s worth alone fluctuates from $16,000 to nearly $26,000 an ounce, according to cars.com.”
Read the rest of the article here.
