MONROE — With the sentencing scheduled for Friday for a local accused catalytic converter thief with multiple charges, experts say there may finally be a significant in decline such thefts, after a nationwide surge that peaked in 2023.
“Fortunately, catalytic converter theft has been on the decline throughout 2023, and 2024 is looking even more promising …” said a press release from Endurance, a nationwide provider of after-market car warranty contracts.
In Green County, though, one such defendant, Timothy J. Decker, 42, was scheduled for a plea/sentencing hearing Friday in Green County Circuit Court. He faced multiple felony theft and other misdemeanor charges related to a group of alleged converter thieves that had been operating in the region.
However, experts say thefts are dropping off as the value of rare metals decreases and awareness of the crime rises. Thieves typically remove converters from parked cars using a battery-powered reciprocating saw and then sell them to a junk dealer, including at least one such dealer in a local case in the Freeport area, according to court records.
BeenVerified reports a drop of 43% in catalytic converter thefts from January to June compared to the same time last year, according to a USA Today report.
Green County Sheriff Jeff Skatrud suspects that in addition to metal prices, the businesses that were buying the stolen converters either figured out that they were party to a crime or were encouraged to more heavily scrutinize such transactions by authorities.
“Perhaps the people who buy that stuff are on notice now,” said Skatrud, who added that, anecdotally at least, there have not been many converter theft cases so far here in 2024.
Among the thefts reportedly attributed to local suspects in 2022 and 2023 were the theft of two converters from the parking lot of a Madison hotel, additional converters from a location on Wis. 69, from a box truck in Evansville, another from a box truck in the city of Monroe; and a from camper in Green County. In one such crime, thieves took a converter from a parked snow plow at New Glarus Woods State Park.
What’s more, authorities have said they suspect there were additional thefts in Lafayette, Sauk and Rock Counties.
One of the suspects in that mini crime wave, Kelsey Ann Wuethrich, 33, was sentenced to 4 years in state prison last year for multiple felony thefts. Another defendant, Brandy M. Williams, 42, of Browntown also was sentenced to four years for similar crimes. Decker may face a similar sentence Friday before Circuit Judge Jane Bucher.
Converter theft was in the headlines once again when a television actor, Johnny Wactor, was shot and killed on May 25 after interrupting a trio of converter thieves targeting his Toyota Prius in Los Angeles.
“He became the highest-profile victim of a crime that has plagued the country for the last four years,” said an NBC News report. “And while thefts of catalytic converters are on the wane, the combination of the car Wactor drove and the state the shooting took place in were unfortunate factors surrounding the crime that led to his death.”
Indeed, about half of converter thefts nationally occur in California. The car most targeted, according to statistics, is the Ford 150 truck, a common vehicle here. Other top targets for thieves are the Honda Accord and Ford Explorer.
Skatrud said that while the recent trend is very positive, it does not mean that converter thefts — costing millions in damage to vehicles — is going away for good.
“As long as they can sell them, they won’t stop,” said Skatrud.