ROCHESTER, Minn. – A Stewartville man whom police say ran a massive operation in stolen catalytic converters has been arrested. Sheriff’s investigators said Shawn Clement, 36, stole dozens if not hundreds of catalytic converters in southeast Minnesota, Iowa and the Twin Cities. He was arrested at a camper in a Stewartville storage unit, where he was living with his wife and child. The charges, four felony counts in all, involve thefts on Sunday from multiple vehicles at a business near the Rochester airport. More counts cans be expected, investigators said. Investigators reported several breaks that led to the arrest:
> Clement lost a cell phone at one theft. With the phone, police tracked trips to Austin, Oronoco and the Twin Cities.
> Converters stolen at a Rochester roofing company were found at one recent residence of Clement, who moved around a lot.
> Tire tracks from a pickup crashing through security fences were found at one theft site , where 11 converters were ripped from vehicle undercarriages..
> Investigators hid a GPS tracker on Clement’s vehicle and placed him in areas where numerous converters were stolen.
Clement. Arrested after one-year investigation.
Rare metal
Palladium is mined in South Africa, Russia, Ontario and Montana, but most comes from scrapped automobiles. Palladium in catalytic converters in autos change as much as 90% of harmful exhaust gasses into less noxious nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapor. It’s expensive: $2,200 an unce.
What converters do
Converters have been standard in auto manufacturing since 1975 as pollution-control devices. They burn exhaust fumes at 800 degrees. Converted technology relies on the rare metal palladium, which has become a hot black-market commodity as auto-makers’ post-1975 demand grew.
The theft
Thieves crawl underneath a vehicle to cut loose emission-control catalytic converters. It takes two minutes. At a shady junkyard, a converter can fetch $500.
The damage
For most vehicles, the average cost of replacing a catalytic converter is between $945 and $2.475 including parts and labor.. Vehicle owners don’t have much choice. A car without functioning catalytic converter will not pass a vehicle inspection. Good luck on a trade-in.
Targets
Toyota Prius and Honda Accord models are a favorite of thieves. Their converters are easily detached. Their popularity means vast market for second-hand converters. Also, big vehicle lots can be lucrative for thieves. A camper dealer puts its loss at $80,000 in one night’s haul.