Man suspected of stealing over 100 catalytic converters pleads guilty

A man arrested last year on suspicion of stealing over 100 catalytic converters pleaded guilty to owning and operating a chop shop, third-degree burglary and shoplifting.

Detectives from the Tempe Police Department Special Investigations Bureau arrested then 40-year-old Justin Dunkins at his Scottsdale home on March 9, 2021 where they found additional evidence of his involvement.

Investigators estimated Dunkins stole between six and 20 catalytic converters per week.

Dunkins pleaded guilty to the three counts in exchange for having two third-degree burglary charges and an additional operating chop shop charge dropped. He was sentenced in June 2021 to 8.5 years in prison, according to court documents.

Dunkins is serving time at Red Rock Correctional Center, a private prison in Eloy, and is scheduled to be released on April 5, 2028 according to the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry.

There has been a rise of catalytic converter thefts over the past two years. A study from BeenVerified states in Arizona there were 30 catalytic converter thefts in 2019, 142 in 2020 and 2,046 in 2021.

Catalytic converters contain metals such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium, all of which have gone up exponentially in value. The theft of this part can be done in minutes and it can be sold to recyclers for $50 to $250 each, according to BeenVerified. The cost to repair catalytic converters is between $1,000 and $3,000.

More:Chandler police arrest three men in connection to many catalytic converter thefts

Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at 602-444-2474 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @PerryVandell.

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