Howard County police are seeking the whereabouts of a suspect charged in an arrest warrant with stealing 23 catalytic converters off of vehicles in Howard County since November 2023.
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Jeremiah Welcher, 25, of Waldorf, is charged in the warrant with more than 60 total counts of theft, destruction of property, attempted theft, rogue and vagabond, and theft scheme. Welcher is charged in thefts in Elkridge, Columbia, Jessup, Savage, and Laurel. Detectives believe he also may be involved in a majority of the catalytic converter thefts in Howard County in recent months; the investigation into his involvement is ongoing. Welcher may be staying at different locations, including motels, in the area or in southern Maryland. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should contact police at 410-313-STOP or HCPDCrimeTips@howardcountymd.gov.
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The catalytic converter is a part of a vehicle’s exhaust system that contains valuable metals and can be removed in less than two minutes. Once stolen, it can cost thousands of dollars to replace. This crime affects commercial and personal vehicles of any make and model, though catalytic converters in hybrid vehicles often contain a higher concentration of valuable metals and can be sold for more.
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The information above is from the Howard County State’s Attorney Facebook page, which was posted on February 16, 2024.
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In a recent inquiry with the Howard County Police Department, the Guilford Gazette was informed by public information officer Seth Hoffman that Welcher is at-large as of today.