11 months ago
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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KPGE) – A erstwhile Fresno and Clovis nonmigratory was convicted Thursday aft orchestrating the theft of astir $3 cardinal worthy of catalytic converters. The United States Department of Justice reports that catalytic converter theft successful the Fresno country decreased by much than 60 percent aft his arrest.
According to the DOJ, George Thomas, 72, bought stolen catalytic converters betwixt January 2021 and November 2022. Per tribunal documents, helium made much than $2.7 million aft selling the stolen converters to a metallic recycling institution successful Oregon.
Federal officials accidental Thomas purchased the converters from a radical of "habitual thieves" helium helped train.
Per the DOJ, helium instructed the thieves connected the types of converters helium wanted and explained however to champion chopped them disconnected vehicles. According to tribunal documents, helium besides loaned the thieves wealth to wage for their motel rooms, saws, and bail - national officials accidental the loans were contingent connected the thieves continuing to bargain for him.
An archetypal hunt warrant was executed astatine Thomas’ location successful mid-2021, but per the DOJ, helium continued the operation. In an effort to conceal the amerciable quality of his purchases, Thomas took photographs of the thieves and their fake oregon stolen recognition cards each clip helium made a sale. He besides requested a fake VIN for the conveyance from which the converter was supposedly cutoff and had each thief motion a portion of insubstantial stating that the converter was not stolen.
After his apprehension successful April 2023, the DOJ says reports of converter theft successful the Fresno country decreased by much than 60 percent.
In summation to the merchantability of stolen catalytic converters, the DOJ says Thomas was besides convicted of structuring his withdrawals to conceal his activities from the government. Per national officials, banks are mostly required to study currency withdrawals implicit $10,000; Thomas allegedly withdrew the currency successful increments nether $10,000 to debar that reporting threshold.
Thomas is scheduled to beryllium sentenced connected Sept. 11. He faces a maximum statutory punishment of 10 years successful situation and a $250,000 good for each of his convictions.
