ATHENS COUNTY – Police say they have found the source of the plague of catalytic converter thefts that have happened in 2020, the thefts have lead to a man who also is in trouble for large possession of heroin.
According to the Athens county sheriffs department, they have arrested fourth five-year-old David Wilson of Chauncey Ohio again.
In 2020 Athens county area has been plagued with theft of an auto muffler part called a catalytic converter. The auto part is easily removed with a pipe cutter from a vehicle and is worth hundreds because of the precious metals it contains. According to the sheriff, 139 converters were stolen from vehicles last year.
Through investigation of these thefts, the sheriff found that the stolen converters were mostly going to one source Willison, where detectives say that thieves were exchanging converters for heroin.
Investigations led to an arrest of Willison over the summer with a total of four ounces of heroin with a street value of 22,000 dollars. This didn’t hold Willison in jail, and when back on the street detectives said he was back at the same crimes.
On January 21, 2021, Criminal interdiction units executed a search of Willison’s home at 15829 Railroad street where investigators found evidence of Willison selling over 369 converters totaling 76,753.00 dollars, 30,000 dollars in drug and converter sales.
Willison is being held in SEORJ after Athens County Grand jury returned an indictment on Willison for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
