UCN
Used Car News
5/30/2022
Industry Targets Catalytic Converter Thefts
IN THIS ISSUE:
• Summer Books • Dealer Shooting • Wholesale Markets
By Jeffrey Bellant
A Missouri bill to stem the tide of stolen catalytic converters died in the legislature, but the issue is not going away. Over the past year, complaints of catalytic converter theft have spread across the country and the Missouri bill was just one effort to prevent these crimes. In fact, national trade groups are pushing for Congress to pass a new law to address the issue. The Missouri effort was spearheaded by Rep. Don Mayhew (RPulaski), who has been pushing this issue since the 2021 session. “It didn’t get anywhere last year,” Mayhew said. “But in Missouri and even the Midwest, this problem has reached epidemic proportions.” In January, seven Missouri residents were indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a con-
spiracy to transport thousands of stolen catalytic converters across state lines to Arkansas as part of a multimillion-dollar business. “A scourge of catalytic converter thefts on a breathtaking scale had a significant impact on the Springfield community over the past two years,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “Not only were numerous individual car owners victimized, but several non-profit organizations and churches were also victimized.” The issue of catalytic converter theft first came to Mayhew’s attention through a 2021 incident at his county health department in Crocker, Mo. “They have a service vehicle that has had the catalytic converter stolen off of it three times,” Mayhew said. “They had to pay thousands of dollars every time they had to get it repaired. “(Thieves) just don’t take the cata-
lytic converter; they damage everything else around it.” While this year’s legislation got a hearing in the state House, it fell short. House Bill 2574 would have required state-regulated scrap metal dealers and others to require proof that the seller of a catalytic converter is a bona fide automobile repair shop or sign an affidavit that the converter was lawfully acquired. The make, model, year, and vehicle identification number of the vehicle from which the converter originated would have been required and maintained for four years. It would have required transactions involving catalytic converters to occur at the primary place of business of the scrap metal dealer. Anyone convicted of violating this section would have been guilty of a class B misdemeanor and subject Continued on page 8
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