Stealing from a scrap yard doesn't seem like it could be a big money maker. Thieves have hit in Waterbury, however, and made off with quite a stash from Dana DeCapua's livelihood, his auto scrap yard.

Catalytic converters are car parts that are definitely worth some cash. These parts clean the air from your engine and are made of expensive materials like platinum and palladium, materials that are worth about $1,200 per ounce according to this WFSB story.

Forcing their way into a scrap yard through the garage door, DeCapua estimates the thieves made off with between $5,000 and $8,000 in parts. The thieves obviously know a little something about cars to know both the value of the converters and how to remove them.

In addition to the parts, the thieves stole a van to carry them off in. A nearby garage lost a van it was working on when the thieves took it, drove it to the scrap yard, and loaded up the stolen parts.

Interestingly a few weeks ago a Honda dealership in Watertown was hit with the same type of theft, losing around $18,000 in parts.

Larceny Charges aren't always considered minor offenses in the eyes of the court. Sure stealing candy from the convenience store didn't seem like a big deal when you were a kid, but valuable car parts are another story. The reason this is so much more serious is because the courts base your charge on the value of the items stolen.

A stolen candy bar is a Class C misdemeanor (if charges are even filed). However, stealing over $20,000 in auto parts is a Class B Felony. We aren't talking about a few months in county jail here. We are talking about up to 20 years in state prison.

Theft crimes can be very serious and carry quite serious penalties. If you are facing larceny charges and aren't sure what the charges mean or how to deal with them, I can help. An experienced defense attorney is there to answer your questions and give you high quality legal advice.

A criminal theft or larceny charge in Connecticut is a serious legal problem. If you are facing charges like these, call our attorneys to discuss the details of your case today.