A Tahlequah man has been arrested by the United States Department of Justice-Northern Oklahoma District as part of a sting operation titled OPERATON HEAVY METAL that involved law enforcement groups at the local, state and federal levels to coordinate a take-down of a network of thieves who have been stealing catalytic converters off cars and then selling them to a refinery. Investigators said the network has brought in tens of millions of dollars on the thefts.

Parker Star Weavel, age 25 operated in and around the Tahlequah area as part of the catalytic converter thefts. Weavel and 12 others were arrest Wednesday, November 3 where more than 2000 catalytic converters were stolen off parked cars in the Northern part of the Oklahoma. The 13 will face 40 counts of indictments in what is being labeled as a “conspiracy to receive stolen catalytic converters, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and other related charges.”

The group was interacting with other thieves as well as a New Jersey company known as DG Auto over the course of the past year. Law enforcement is alleging that DG Auto knew the converters were stolen at the time they paid for them.

The case will now go to court with trial attorneys from Oklahoma and New Jersey who are prosecuting the case as an organized crime.