North Texas man gets 35 years in prison for stealing catalytic converters
A 27-year-old Euless man is one of the first in Texas to be sentenced under a 2023 state law that makes catalytic converter theft a felony in some cases, the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office said.
A Tarrant County jury found Jaylin Jessie guilty of engaging in organized criminal activity, and he was sentenced to 35 years in prison, the District Attorney’s Office said on Tuesday.
Police received reports during their investigation from at least eight people who had their catalytic converters stolen while they were at work last year, authorities said.
A police chase with multiple agencies began when officers tried to detain Jessie. One officer crashed his vehicle and went to the hospital, officials said.
Jessie also has robbed multiple people, including one at gunpoint, according to information that the DA’s Office presented to the jury during the punishment phase of his trial.
State law increased penalties for catalytic converter theft
Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill in 2023 to increase penalties for the theft and unlawful possession of catalytic converters.
The catalytic converter bill, named the Deputy Darren Almendarez Act, was created in honor of a Harris County sheriff’s deputy who was shot and killed while trying to stop three men accused of trying to steal his vehicle’s catalytic converter while he was off-duty.
The law also created a new criminal offense for the unauthorized possession of a catalytic converter and outlined record retention rules for sales, purchases and repairs related to the car part.
Thieves target the car parts, which are usually made of platinum, palladium and rhodium, to sell the metals.