Illinois authorities find more than 600 catalytic converters in single bust

Chicago-area authorities recovered more than 600 stolen catalytic converters found on the property of a suspect thief. 

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said he couldn’t think of any other bust nationwide where more catalytic converters had been found. 

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Ramsy Sandoka, 40, is charged with a felony and misdemeanor counts of failure to keep recyclable purchase records, selling/purchasing catalytic converters, and violation of recycle metal law.

On May 7, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglar alarm in Worth Township. No one was home when they knocked on the front door. As deputies walked along the property, they spotted hundreds of catalytic converters in a metal crate and others stacked along the fence.

The property belonged to Sandoka, authorities said. Investigators said he owned a tow company but found no records that he or the business have a license to buy, sell, recycle or possess catalytic converters.

“Sandoka could not produce documentation to investigators to show he owned the vehicle parts or that he had a license to buy, sell, recycle, or possess them,” the sheriff’s office said. 

On May 9, authorities took the converters, some of which appeared to be recently cut. Catalytic converters are a valuable target of thieves because of the precious metals contained in them that can sold at a high price.