Man arrested after police find freshly cut catalytic converter

By JEFF REINITZ – Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa (TNS)

Curbing catalytic converter thefts

A honeycomb structure made of platinum, palladium and other pricey metals can be found in catalytic converters.

WATERLOO — A Waterloo man has been arrested for allegedly stealing catalytic converters less than a year after he was released from prison for stealing catalytic converters.

According to Waterloo police, Shane Michael Mehmen, 36, was a passenger in a vehicle during a traffic stop on West 18th Street around 12:40 a.m. Tuesday.

Mehmen was wearing heavy clothing with stains and smelled of automotive fluids, and next to him in the back seat was a freshly cut catalytic converter and a bag of saws and blades, according to court records.

Police arrested Mehmen for one count of third-degree theft, a misdemeanor, and possession of burglary tools.

Shane Michael Mehmen

Mehmen

Records show Mehmen was released from prison in January 2024 after serving time for ongoing criminal conduct for a rash of converter thefts – from vehicles parked at numerous businesses, a school and a hospital – in 2021 that involved at least 11 other people. The theft spree caused more than $100,000 in damage to vehicles, according to police estimates.

Catalytic converters are pollution control devices attached to vehicles’ exhaust systems. They are a frequent target for thieves, who sell them as scrap metal because they contain small amounts of platinum and other precious metals.

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