CHICAGO — When Chicago police arrested two men and seized 211 catalytic converters last year, prosecutors said it was the result of a nearly year-long investigation. Now one of those men has pleaded guilty to playing a role in the crime. His punishment? Probationary period.
Police had a search warrant in hand for a storage unit in the 4500 block of West North Avenue when Marzel Woodard, dubbed the “ringleader” of the operation, arrived at the storage facility with Vincent Parks on June 30, 2023, officials said.
The undercover officers watched as Woodard and Parks began loading catalytic converters from a vehicle into the unit, prosecutors said. They tried to run when the police came in, but didn’t get far.
Police reportedly found five severed catalytic converters in Woodard’s vehicle. Officials claimed that another 206 converters were found in Woodard’s storage unit when they executed the warrant.
Woodard has been under investigation since August 2022. Police have since seen him handling, possessing, storing and selling “large numbers” of catalytic converters, prosecutors said. Parks, they claimed, had been handling and transporting converters with Woodard for about a week.
On Wednesday, Parks pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of three or more stolen car parts in exchange for two years of probation from Judge Tyria Walton, court records show.
Woodard, who faces a similar charge plus a more serious charge of organizing an aggravated vehicle theft conspiracy, continues to fight the charges. He must appear in court again on December 18.
