JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A multi-million dollar theft ring involving stolen catalytic converters was busted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and dozens of law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts. Authorities announced seven arrests on Wednesday — the suspects accused of stealing catalytic converters from nearly 500 vehicles, totaling $2 million in losses.
Meanwhile, in Florida, there are thousands of catalytic converter thefts every year. Some lawmakers are pushing to pass laws to make penalties harsher.
Catalytic converters are expensive parts under a vehicle that help filter exhaust, making emissions less harmful to the environment. They’re made of precious metals which can cost thousands of dollars an ounce – and that’s attractive for thieves. Especially since an experienced crook can cut it out with an electric saw in under a minute.
Surveillance video from the March Motors car dealership on Atlantic Boulevard showed it happening again and again. In 2022, Jacksonville police investigated more than 900 catalytic converter theft reports.
“It’s more than pennies on the dollar,” Congressman John Rutherford said. “They’re making good money on the stuff. It’s incredible what they’re making actually.”
In 2012, Rutherford, when he was Jacksonville’s Sheriff, helped pass a law in Florida requiring detailed records for anyone who tries to sell scrap metal, and that slowed down crimes until the criminals went across state lines where the rules aren’t so rigorous.
“It’s particularly bad for Jacksonville because it’s so close to the state line,” Rutherford said. “Pensacola is a big problem. I think we need to make sure that they are dealers across the state lines are being held as accountable as ours are.”
Florida State Senator Linda Stewart is sponsoring a “Catalytic Converter Antitheft Act” bill where anyone with a stolen catalytic converter faces a third-degree felony.
“We’ve got to put a stop to it,” Stewart said.
The bill, SB306, is now moving to the House. Similar laws have already been passed across the country.