Thief Makes Fatal Mistake In Georgia, Gets Crushed To Death At Car Lot Trying To Steal Catalytic Converter

A Georgia thief made a fatal mistake and was crushed to death while attempting to steal a catalytic converter from a local business according to officials. Officers with the Chatham County Police Department (CCPD) were called to Prestige Auto Sales around 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday after a deceased man was found under a vehicle in the car lot.

Police believe the man was killed while he was illegally removing a catalytic converter from and vehicle and the vehicle fell on top of him. The man was identified as 32-year-old Matthew Eric Smith. Smith has a long rap sheet in Chatham County.

Chief Jeff Hadley of the Chatham County Police Department said: “We normally don’t publicize every death investigation that we go to. Many are natural, it could be an overdose or something like that, but because of the uniqueness of this case,” and because he wants to stop anyone thinking about “going around stealing catalytic converters” he released the details.

Because of increased prices of the precious metals used in the production of the converters like platinum, rhodium and palladium — a thief can get up to a few hundred dollars when sold to an unscrupulous recycling facility.

The DOJ busted a nationwide ring of thieves. According to DOJ:

“Federal, state, and local law enforcement partners from across the United States executed a nationwide, coordinated takedown today of leaders and associates of a national network of thieves, dealers, and processors for their roles in conspiracies involving stolen catalytic converters sold to a metal refinery for tens of millions of dollars.

“Arrests, searches, and seizures took place in California, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, North Carolina, and Virginia. In total, 21 individuals in five states have been arrested and/or charged for their roles in the conspiracy.

“The 21 defendants are charged in two separate indictments that were unsealed today in the Eastern District of California and the Northern District of Oklahoma following extensive law enforcement arrest and search operations. In addition to the indictments, over 32 search warrants were executed, and law enforcement seized millions of dollars in assets, including homes, bank accounts, cash, and luxury vehicles.

“Amidst a rise in catalytic converter thefts across the country, the Justice Department has today carried out an operation arresting 21 defendants and executing 32 search warrants in a nation-wide takedown of a multimillion-dollar catalytic converter theft network,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. 

“We will continue to work alongside our state and local partners to disrupt criminal conspiracies like this one that target the American people.”

“This national network of criminals hurt victims across the country,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “They made hundreds of millions of dollars in the process—on the backs of thousands of innocent car owners. Today’s charges showcase how the FBI and its partners act together to stop crimes that hurt all too many Americans.”

“With California’s higher emission standards, our community has become a hot bed for catalytic converter theft,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert for the Eastern District of California. 

“Last year approximately 1,600 catalytic converters were reportedly stolen in California each month, and California accounts for 37% of all catalytic converter theft claims nationwide. I am proud to announce that we have indicted nine people who are at the core of catalytic theft in our community and nationwide.”

“In Tulsa alone, more than 2,000 catalytic converters were stolen in the past year,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma.

 “Organized criminal activity, including the large-scale theft of catalytic converters, is costly to victims and too often places citizens and law enforcement in danger. The collective work conducted by federal prosecutors and more than 10 different law enforcement agencies led to the filing of charges in the Northern District of Oklahoma against 13 defendants operating an alleged catalytic converter theft operation.”

“The success of this national takedown highlights the importance and necessity of dynamic law enforcement partnerships that we foster at DHS every single day,” said Deputy Secretary John K. Tien of the Department of Homeland Security. 

“This calculated, cooperative whole-of-government approach across multiple states illustrates our commitment to protecting the homeland from those who seek to profit from sophisticated schemes. Homeland Security Investigations [HSI] will continue to focus its efforts on keeping these types of criminal elements off our streets while dismantling the groups behind these and other thefts.”

“Just like the precious metal inside every catalytic converter, there’s a money trail at the core of every criminal scheme,” said Chief Jim Lee of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). 

“Our IRS-CI special agents and partners are incredibly well-versed at unraveling financial trails, and this case is not unique. There are real victims here – friends, neighbors, and businesses – and our hope is that today’s arrests will deter similar criminal activity,” he said.

The owner of a local car dealership showed up to work to find a dead body under one of his cars. Police determined it an “accidental death”, South Bound Auto Sales said it’s tied to someone trying to steal a catalytic converter. @WTOC11 pic.twitter.com/kE4l3SY4Qg

— Alyssa Jackson WTOC (@thealyssaj) March 8, 2023