Kansas City area man accused of selling stolen catalytic converters worth millions
An Independence scrap yard owner is accused of running a stolen catalytic converter operation through his business, which brought in $11 million in total sales from the parts over the past four years, according to a newly unsealed federal indictment.
James Spick, 56, was indicted this week by a federal grand jury on 26 felonies in the Western District of Missouri alleging a conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines and the actual transportation of stolen property. Spick was arrested on the charges Thursday.
Spick, the owner of J&J Recycling, could not be reached for comment. A voicemail left with the business’s main phone number was not immediately returned. Court records did not show a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.
According to the indictment, Spick is accused of dealing in stolen goods beginning in at least January 2018. Prosecutors allege a substantial portion of his business relied on the sale of those parts to other scrap yards, including ones based in two other states.
The full scale of legitimate versus illegal sales is not fully clear based on the court record. But the indictment identifies $1.6 million was earned through the sale of stolen property to scrap yards in Louisiana and Texas. Two others based in Kansas City and Lee’s Summit paid him a combined $3.8 million over a four-year stretch, including for parts that were stolen, prosecutors allege.
Catalytic converters are designed to lessen the effects of pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels. The parts are often expensive to purchase and install, and contain precious metals — including platinum — that are worth a high dollar when exchanged for scrap.
Missouri law requires buyers of catalytic converters to keep a registry of purchases that includes a copy of a seller’s photo identification, along with other notes including the dates and times of sales. Independence has another local law concerning the sale of catalytic converters that shows the seller is the actual owner of the part.
Spick allegedly bought stolen parts for cash and required sellers to fill out forms promising that sellers were the true owners of the property. He withdrew from his bank accounts approximately $2.5 million from 2018 through 2021 for what authorities contend was used to buy parts from thieves.
The government’s case against Spick includes testimony from one state’s witness who told authorities that Spick was aware the converters he was buying were in fact stolen.
According to the indictment, one person involved in the alleged conspiracy — identified only as Individual A — told Spick at one point that they “had to take a little break” because “the cops are getting deadly out there.”
“Yeah they are, you can’t do anything,” Spick replied, according to the indictment.
Thefts of catalytic converters have risen across the country in recent years. Law enforcement agencies say they are an easy mark for thieves, who often are able to cut the part from underneath a vehicle without needing specialty tools.
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 5:35 PM.
