Authorities find Houston-area ties in nationwide crackdown on catalytic converter theft
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- After a nationwide crackdown on catalytic converter thefts, authorities learned that many of the cases have ties in southeast Texas.
More than 24 people in four states were arrested, charged, and accused of selling stolen converters to an auto-part company based in New Jersey.
That company would take those stolen items and remove precious metals from the converter - and sell it to a refiner for millions of dollars.
Investigators believe the suspects, who were arrested during a raid in Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Harris counties over the summer, were selling the stolen auto parts to ringleaders in Tulsa, Oklahoma and beyond.
More than a thousand converters were recovered during that August bust.
RELATED: 5 arrested, $4.3 million dollars worth of catalytic converter seized in coordinated raid
There are ways you may be able to protect your catalytic converter from being stolen and save thousands of dollars it could cost to replace it.
- Paint it with bright color, high-temperature paint
- Cover it with a security device
- Etch or engrave your vehicle identification number on the converter.
