If your catalytic converter went missing recently in the Stanislaus or Merced counties region, there is a good chance it was found at a Turlock business that was busted Thursday for running an illegal chop shop, according to authorities.

The bust was the culmination of a months long investigation into large-scale wire thefts throughout Merced and Stanislaus counties. The investigation was spearheaded by the Merced County Sheriff’s Department and involved the Turlock Police Department and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department.

Detectives located large quantities of stripped copper wire, a wire stripping machine, and over 60 cut-off catalytic converters at a business in Turlock.

The sheriff’s department said the owner of the business was arrested, but has not release the business owner’s name, nor the business. The owner was charged with felony possession of stolen property and was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail.

“While this investigation is still ongoing, we hope that this is a significant step in reducing copper theft in our County,” the Merced County Sheriff’s Department said on a Facebook post. “We'd like to thank the various teams and agencies for their hard work on this case.”

The National Insurance Crime Bureau reported approximately 28,000 catalytic converter thefts in 2023 and from 2019 to 2022 the thefts increased by more than 1000 percent. Catalytic converters are desirable to thieves because they include high-value metals that can be recycled and resold.