Rash returns: 10 catalytic converters stolen this month

Jan. 5—TRAVERSE CITY — Thefts of catalytic converters are surging in Grand Traverse County.

On Tuesday night, thieves took three catalytic converters in the 11,000 block of US-31 South — from an SUV, a black Jeep and a snowplow truck, Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Capt. Randy Fewless said.

These thefts number among 10 catalytic converter larcenies occurring this past month in Garfield, Blair and Green Lake townships.

The uptick in thefts follows a nearly year-long hiatus from last winter's catalytic converter spree. Fewless said he wasn't sure why it was spiking again.

These crimes are random, he said, and have mainly involved stealing converters from vehicles parked on business properties, as opposed to residential areas.

On a vehicle, a catalytic converter is near the exhaust pipe, and its job is to filter excess fuel after the engine does its combustion, according to Marathon Automotive manager Robert Michaels.

"There are precious metals inside that converter which is what it uses in order to burn that gas," he said.

As a result, Michaels said, some people want to steal them to melt the precious metals down and sell them to scrap yards.

Fewless said the motivation for stealing the converters is simple: money.

Catalytic converters contain rhodium, platinum and palladium, which is what makes them so valuable, Fewless said, adding that the market plays a role.

"They're quite valuable, but their value is dependent on the price of the precious metals."

Data from national economic sites shows that, this week, palladium is worth $1,662 per ounce, platinum is worth $1,069 per ounce and rhodium is worth $12,350 per ounce.

Previous Record-Eagle reporting estimates that the going rate is between $300 to $800 for those trace elements on the black market.

The average cost to replace a catalytic converter is anywhere from $900 to more than $3,000, local mechanics said.

For Brenda McMillan at Sullivan Auto Clinic on South Blue Star Drive, this recent stealing spree isn't as bad as previous ones. Last summer, they were asked to replace the Women's Resource Center truck's catalytic converter after it was stolen.

After hearing about the thefts of catalytic converters in the area, she said they choose not to leave trucks outside as a way to protect cars in their care.

"It's pretty easy for them to be taken in less than five minutes," McMillan said.

All that's required is a small cordless saw, Michaels said.

Last year, the sheriff's office reported nearly two dozen stolen catalytic converters in the county.

Two of four suspects, Jonathon Gustafson, 32, from Traverse City, and Alicia Hamilton, 44, from Thompsonville, pleaded guilty to larceny from a motor vehicle in 2022.

The other suspects, Willie Storie Jr., 50, from Mesick, and Joshua Maloney, 33, from Williamsburg, still face charges.

Stealing catalytic converters is a felony in Michigan, punishable by up to five years in prison, state statutes show.

Fewless said the best way to keep a catalytic converter safe is to park in busy and well-lit areas. "The better lit the area, the better," he said.

Anyone with information related to these recent thefts are asked to contact the sheriff's office detective bureau at 231-995-5012.