27 people, towing company owner, arrested in catalytic converter theft ring bust
ONSLOW COUNTY (WWAY) — A joint operation involving law enforcement agencies from three counties and the FBI have led to the arrests of more than a dozen people.
Through Operation Sawzall, law enforcement say they’ve arrested a catalytic converter theft ring that’s cost vehicle owners’ hundreds of thousands of dollars, and involved a tow company owner who used his license to make it all happen.
New Hanover County, Pender County, and Onslow County Sheriff’s Offices announced Thursday they’ve arrested 27 people for allegedly stealing hundreds if not thousands of catalytic converters from residents of southeastern North Carolina. Those arrested are facing a total of 323 felonies after almost 700 stolen converters were found in their possession.
The three counties began working together when they discovered they were all searching for the same person, the alleged ring leader, Emerson Jordan.
“These individuals would steal the catalytic converters,” explained Onslow County Chief Deputy Chris Thomas. ‘They would go to a middle man, which most of them are on the chart… and that middle man would carry them to Mr. Jordan in Pender County or New Hanover County, and they would sell them to him. He in turn would sell them back at a much higher price.”
After some investigation, WWAY was able to confirm with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Department Jordan owned a towing and transportation company called IHaul. He had a license to sell catalytic converters. On his Facebook page, he often posted that he’d buy junk cars and he could help people earn their own money.
According to Colonel Chris Thomas, the thieves would cruise certain areas at night, stealing from active military, businesses, and churches.
“They would ride by a location like a church in a rural community, and everybody knows that churches have vans, they would be left alone there during the week so they were easy targets,” said Thomas.
Business owner, Monty Newsome is one of the victims. They stole catalytic converters from several of his trucks.
“It ranged from 500 to 1,000 dollars per converter. So it got quite expensive,” Newsome remembered.
Since then, he’s put out more signs advertising the area is being filmed, but has always worried the thieves would come back.
“I am thankful to the district attorney’s office and the local law enforcement agencies here for staying on the catalytic converter episode,” he said.
More than 200 catalytic converters have been stolen from New Hanover County in the past two years. The Onslow County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that since those arrests, there have been no new catalytic converter thefts in our region.
