Police find hundreds of catalytic converters in Worth Twp.
A Worth Township man faces criminal charges after Cook County sheriff ’s police found more than 600 catalytic converters on his property, Sheriff Tom Dart said Thursday.
Dart said it was among the largest such seizures of that vehicle part, which is part of a vehicle’s exhaust system, in the state.
Ramsy Sandoka, 40, of the 6000 block of 128th Place in unincorporated Worth Township, is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, a felony, as well as misdemeanor charges including selling and purchasing catalytic converters, according to Dart’s office.
Sandoka was released on his own recognizance following an initial court appearance Thursday, according to the sheriff ’s office.
Catalytic converters are valuable to thieves because they contain small amounts of precious metals such as
palladium and platinum, which can be extracted and sold, according to the sheriff ’s office.
Citing data from insurer State Farm, the office said, nationwide, catalytic
converter thefts have risen by more than 400% since 2019, and that Illinois ranks third in number of thefts.
Police said an investigation got underway after officers responded Sunday to a
burglar alarm at the Worth Township address.
There was no response when officers knocked on the door of the home, and when officers walked along the property’s perimeter to ensure the home was secured, they spotted through the backyard fence what appeared to be hundreds of catalytic converters in a metal crate and others stacked along a fence.
Sheriff’s police said an investigation showed Sandoka owned the property. He owns a towing company, but investigators found no records that he or his business have a license to buy, sell, recycle or possess the converters, Dart’s office said.
A search warrant executed Tuesday by sheriff ’s police and the Illinois Statewide Auto Theft Task Force found 612 catalytic converters on Sandoka’s property, Dart’s office said.
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, police said, and Sandoka was placed under arrest, with charges being approved Wednesday by the
Cook County state’s attorney’s office.
Attempts to reach Sandoka for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.
The catalytic converters found were in a variety of shapes and sizes and in various stages of rust, with some having little or no rust, indicating they were recently cut from vehicles, Dart’s office said.
Dart’s office last year rolled out a program to try to combat catalytic converter thefts.
At locations in the Chicago area, drivers could bring their vehicles to have the converters spray painted, using a paint tolerant to high temperatures. Converters were marked “CCSO” for the sheriff’s office along with a star.
The idea is the logo will make thieves think twice about swiping the parts, as it could make them harder to sell.