Darin Dillon Charged With Stealing Over 150 Catalytic Converters
Originally published March 11, 2022
OTTER TAIL COUNTY, Minn. (WCCO) - A 34-year-old Erhard man has been charged in connection to over 150 catalytic converter thefts in Otter Tail County over the past year.
Darin Dillon was charged with two counts of felony theft on Wednesday, and could serve up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
The criminal complaint says an Otter Tail County Sheriff's deputy took a report of catalytic converter thefts from a business on Feb. 23. The owner said the converters were stolen while the business was closed, and named Dillon as a suspect.
As the investigation continued, officers learned Dillon had sold catalytic converters to a scrap dealer in Wolverton. The owner of the business said he had bought two to three catalytic converters a week from Dillon.
The business owner tipped off a deputy when Dillon came to sell converters, court documents say. The deputy approached Dillon, who estimated he had stolen upwards of 200 catalytic converters over the past several years. The complaint says he admitted to stealing from businesses and also said he cut off the catalytic converter from his girlfriend's car.
According to the scrap dealer's business records, Dillon sold them 155 catalytic converters and 69 car batteries in 2021, and was paid over $54,000.