The theft of a vehicle's catalytic converter, an emissions-control component containing small quantities of the platinum-group metals platinum, palladium and rhodium, which can be removed from underneath a parked vehicle in a few minutes using a battery-powered saw and sold to a scrap metal or precious-metals buyer for a price that rose sharply alongside platinum-group metal prices during the early 2020s. Law enforcement agencies in the United States documented a substantial, well publicized increase in catalytic converter theft during this period, prompting a number of states to pass legislation restricting who may buy a used catalytic converter, requiring a scrap dealer to record the seller's identification and the vehicle it came from, or requiring proof of ownership before a sale, and prompting some vehicle owners to have their converter etched with an identifying number or fitted with a protective shield as a deterrent.
Facts
Classification CodeMembers of the Operation Heavy Metal catalytic converter theft ring faced the federal charge of interstate transportation of stolen property 1 Typical PenaltyRing member Tou Vang was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment in May 2025 for his role in the catalytic converter theft ring 1 Elements of OffenseThe scheme involved regional theft rings selling stolen catalytic converters to a processor who removed and sold the precious metals for refining 1 Notable ExampleThe catalytic converter theft ring generated approximately 545 million dollars in revenue for DG Auto Parts between 2020 and 2022, investigated by over 70 local and federal agencies 1 Jurisdiction VariationOregon passed a 2021 law requiring scrap metal businesses to record catalytic converter purchases, including the vehicle identification number, and banning cash for these transactions 1 Classification
Offense GradeMinor or Summary Offense 1 Sources
1. 2020-2022 catalytic converter theft ring, Wikipedia
Federal charges section
interstate transportation of stolen property
Sentences section, Tou Vang
12 years imprisonment
Scheme mechanics section
The regional theft rings sent their stolen catalytic converters to DG Auto Parts in Freehold, New Jersey, who removed the precious metals from them and ground them into dust.
Scale of operation section
These sales are believed to have generated approximately $545 million in revenue for DG Auto Parts
State law variations section, Oregon
In 2021, Oregon passed a law requiring that scrap metal businesses make a record of all catalytic converter purchases, including the vehicle identification number that they came from.
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