Bucks County prosecutors charged TDI Towing owner Michael Williams, 52, and 10 co-defendants for operating a catalytic converter theft ring that purchased an estimated 27,300 converters for $8.2 million between 2020 and 2023, spending approximately $10,000 per night on stolen converters at the height of operations, according to CNN and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Williams was later sentenced to two and a half to five years in state prison followed by two years of probation.
Operator takeaway
A tow yard was the hub of an $8.2 million theft operation — if you purchase catalytic converters or scrap from unknown sources, you are one transaction away from a federal conspiracy charge.