Police: New Hampshire, Massachusetts Theft Ring That Stole 470 Catalytic Converters Busted

A major New England theft ring has been busted, according to Massachusetts State Police.

On Wednesday afternoon, the state police revealed that seven people were arrested in connection with hundreds of catalytic converters being stolen from vehicles in both Massachusetts and New Hampshire over the last two years.

Police said that more than 470 catalytic converters worth about $2 million were cut from vehicles by this crew.

Over 80 law enforcement agencies and the FBI were involved in the investigation that began in October 2022, the press release stated.

The seven men listed in the press release face charges that include conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce, interstate transportation of stolen property, theft from and conspiracy to commit theft from a federally insured bank, and money laundering.

State Police Interim Colonel John Mawn Jr. said, “The members of this criminal network arrested today, under the cloak of darkness, traveled throughout our state cutting valuable catalytic converters from vehicles owned by unsuspecting citizens and businesses. ... The actions of these defendants are an affront to law-abiding citizens everywhere.”

Some of the details of the alleged crimes are wild, including just how many catalytic converters were taken. Police said that "it is alleged that, on numerous occasions, the defendants targeted more than 10 vehicles in a single night, with one night reporting thefts from 26 vehicles."

These types of thefts have been on the rise over the years as you've probably heard about them in the news quite often. In fact, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, over 25,394 catalytic converters were stolen in the U.S. between just 2008 and 2015.

Worried about your catalytic converter being stolen?

Allstate lists five things you can do to try and prevent it from happening such as parking in well-lit areas and putting in motion-sensitive lights and cameras in your parking area.

You can read the complete press release with all the details below.