This page is for personal, non-commercial use. You may order presentation ready copies to distribute to your colleagues, customers, or clients, by visiting https://www.parsintl.com/publication/autoblog/

Police in suburban Portland, Oregon, said Thursday they arrested a crime ring leader responsible for trafficking more than 44,000 catalytic converters stolen from vehicles on the West Coast since 2021.

Beaverton police say they busted a local organized crime ring, arresting two suspected ringleaders and 12 suspected associates. According to Oregon Live, authorities were alerted to the operations when one of the suspects was caught hauling 100 stolen catalytic converters during a traffic stop late in 2021. 

The discovery led to a months-long investigation that culminated in a rash of raids and seizures in July during which authorities searched eight locations and recovered 3,000 stolen catalytic converters (along with a stack of cash, an unspecified but "high-end" car and jewelry, likely stolen). Detectives identified Brennan Doyle, 32, as the leader of the operation. 

The metals inside catalytic converters can sell for thousands of dollars per ounce. The street value of the parts stolen and trafficked was estimated to be over $22 million.

The suspects are accused of stealing catalytic converters from vehicles along the West Coast and beyond, Beaverton police spokesperson Matt Henderson told the Associated Press. The crime ring was centered around Portland, but spanned multiple Oregon counties as well as Washington state, Nevada, California, Texas and New York, he said.

The crime ring shipped boxes of converters to the East Coast and internationally, Henderson said. Dozens, if not hundreds, of people may have been involved in the operation, he added, but declined to share more details because the investigation is ongoing.

Doyle of Lake Oswego, accused of being the ringleader, was indicted on 72 charges, including racketeering, aggravated theft, and money laundering. Police say one of his associates, Tanner Hellbusch of Beaverton, was indicted on 20 similar counts.

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Altercation at GM's Orion Assembly plant leaves one dead

Turn your car into a comfortable camper for less than $100

Car buyers paying more than MSRP feel lasting resentment

2023 Subaru Ascent gets updates and a price just over $35,000

Here's the 2023 Ford Maverick Tremor in the flesh

Glass roofs are actually bad

News, Reviews, Photos, Videos delivered straight to your in-box.

Thanks for subscribing. Check your in-box to get started.

We get it. Ads can be annoying. But ads are also how we keep the garage doors open and the lights on here at Autoblog - and keep our stories free for you and for everyone. And free is good, right? If you'd be so kind as to allow our site, we promise to keep bringing you great content. Thanks for that. And thanks for reading Autoblog.

You still haven't turned off your adblocker or allowed our site. It only takes a few seconds.

You must be logged in to perform that action.

Please enter a display name