Catalytic converters stolen all over Bucks County. DA says this ring took thousands

Bucks County law enforcement say they have broken up one of the largest, and lucrative, stolen catalytic converter theft rings in southeastern Pennsylvania, an operation they is responsible for thousands of thefts in Bucks County alone.

At a news conference Tuesday, Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said 10 adults and an unidentified 17-year-old have been charged, including the owner of a Philadelphia towing business, Michael Williams, 52, of Philadelphia.

In what Weintraub called a "first" for his career, TDI Towing itself also is facing criminal charges. TDI Towing was registered with the state as Diversified Towing & Recovery Inc. but also listed in business documents as TDI Inc. and Tow Decisions.

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The year-long investigation went before a Bucks County grand jury which recommended charges, and alleges Williams, operating as TDI Towing, had been buying stolen catalytic converters, at an average of $300 each, since at least 2020, when COVID-19 pandemic-related supply chain issues increased the market prices for the rare metals found in the car part.

Catalytic converters filter out harmful byproducts in exhaust gasses reducing harmful emissions and improving car performance using the metals rhodium, platinum and palladium, which are valued at between $1,000 and $7,000 an ounce, Weintraub said.

Typically, a converter contains two grams or less of rhodium and no more than seven grams of platinum and palladium, authorities said. The metals can can broken down and harvested from the converters and sold for other uses.

During the three years the ring operated, TDI Towing purchased an average of 175 converters a week, or nearly $8.2 million over three years, Weintraub said. On some nights, there were 30 transactions with some thieves showing up more than once, authorities said.

At its peak, TDI Towing was paying a minimum of $10,000 a night to thieves coming to the tow yard to sell stolen catalytic converters. On several occasions, the company paid as much as $1,000 for a single converter, authorities said.

The DA's office is in the process of calculating how much profit TDI Towing and Williams made in the resale of the converters or the precious metals they contain. But authorities allege they know Williams was making at least an 8% markup on the stolen converters. The average cost to replace a catalytic converter is $2,000, Weintraub said.

Every week, and sometimes more than once a week, Williams would take the catalytic converters from TDI Towing for resale and profit at another location, the investigation found. He took about 50 catalytic converters per trip. Weintraub did not identify other businesses that may have purchased the stolen items, but he said the investigation is ongoing.

While TDI Towing yard advertised itself as operating during daytime hours, people would arrive all throughout the night to sell catalytic converters, authorities said. Among the surveillance images investigators captured were ones showing thieves allegedly stealing catalytic converters from cars parked outside the tow business.

Bucks County detectives and assisting law enforcement agencies conducted thousands of hours of surveillance at TDI Towing, conducted controlled sales at the tow yard and used other advanced investigative techniques to identify catalytic converter thieves and those who purchased the stolen goods, authorities said.

All the defendants, but one, involved in the ring have been arrested and face multiple felony charges including corrupt organizations, dealing in unlawful proceeds, receiving stolen property and theft of catalytic converters, Weintraub said Tuesday.

Most of the other defendants have a family connection to Williams and were current or former employees, authorities said.

Six defendants are free on bail, including Williams, who has waived his right to a preliminary hearing and is cooperating with investigators, Weintraub said. Williams also waived the preliminary hearing for TDI Towing, Weintraub said.

Three other defendants are in custody in Delaware County or Philadelphia on other charges, including Anthony Davalos, 43, of Philadelphia.

Davalos, who has been on the run after skipping his sentencing hearing after he was convicted of stealing 22 catalytic converters, also faces multiple aggravated assault charges. Authorities allege he attempted to run over a Lower Southampton detective who was attempting to stop him from stealing a catalytic converter in 2021.

Another suspected catalytic converter thief, Richard Paige, 39, whose last known address was in Warminster, remains at large, Weintraub said Tuesday.

Individuals who had their catalytic converters stolen over the last year may be able to recoup any losses from TDI Towing in the form of restitution, though matching a stolen converter with the ring could be a "tedious" process, Weintraub said.

The district attorney said that authorities may be able to use surveillance video obtained during the investigation to identify vehicles whose converters were stolen and purchased by TDI.

"Our goal? To put them out of business. Forever," Weintraub added. "A corporate death sentence."

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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Bucks DA charges TDI Towing operator in catalytic converter theft ring