Columbus woman sentenced for role in catalytic converter theft ring
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A woman who was a co-conspirator in a massive central Ohio catalytic converter theft ring was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to two felony charges.
Shannon Vance was arrested and indicted on charges that she, along with Tommy Cox Jr., stole and sold over 1,000 catalytic converters throughout 2021, according to Franklin County Municipal court records.
Vance, who faced 28 charges, including 10 counts of receiving stolen property and nine counts of theft, pleaded guilty to engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. A Franklin County Common Pleas judge sentenced Vance to three years of probation and is not to have any contact with Cox Jr.
Vance was also fined $15,000 and could serve 8-12 years in prison if she violates her probation terms.
On March 4, Cox, who faced a total of 43 charges, was sentenced to at least eight years in prison after he pleaded guilty to 15 counts. Among those were receiving stolen property, theft, possessing criminal tools, money laundering, tampering with evidence, metal scrapping laws, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, weapons under disability and grand theft of a motor vehicle.
Court documents showed that Vance and Cox Jr. formed a criminal organization known as TC’s Buy/Sell/Trade, the purpose of which was to get by Ohio law limiting one catalytic converter sale per person per day. Cox and Vance reportedly received at least $431,580 in cash from catalytic converter sales between January 2021 and March 2022.
Groveport police executed a search warrant on Sept. 13, 2021, of Cox and Vance’s home, where they found two dozen catalytic converters, three firearms, and other criminal tools.
The investigation into Cox and Vance began in Groveport, where police reported more than $50,000 in catalytic converter thefts between July and September of 2021.
Cox was suspected of scrapping a little more than 1,100 catalytic converters for more than $480,000 in cash.