A Blair man is among 15 people arrested in connection with catalytic converter thefts throughout the Omaha metro area and surrounding areas.
Adam Boeka, 37, is charged with theft by unlawful taking, $1,500-$4,999, a Class 4 felony. He is scheduled to appear in Douglas County District on Oct. 19.
The Omaha Police Department Auto Theft Unit with assistance of the La Vista Police Department and the Sarpy County Sheriff's Office made multiple arrests for the thefts. The investigations began in February and are still ongoing, according to a press release from OPD.
According to court documents, OPD received the report of the theft of three catalytic converters from three company vehicles at Omaha Eye & Laser Institute, 11606 Nicholas St., on June 15. The cars had been parked in a parking garage directly south of the business.
The three vehicles — a green 2010 Honda Odyssey minivan, a white 2013 Toyota Corolla and a silver 2004 Chrysler Pacifica — were used by employees June 11 and parked in the garage without issue. When staff returned that Monday, the cars were found to have been damaged and the catalytic converters removed.
The approximate cost to replace all three was $4,100.
Surveillance video from the parking garage showed a white Range Rover with Washington County plates entering the garage. A passenger could be seen getting out of the front seat and approaching the victim's vehicles before quickly running back to the Range Rover, which then left the garage.
The driver was later identified as Boeka. The passenger had not yet been identified.
A criminal history search showed Boeka had prior arrests and convictions for meth possession, receiving stolen property, stolen credit card use, destruction of property and obstructing.
An Omaha police officer tracked the stolen catalytic converters to a local scrap yard. Records showed Boeka had scrapped three catalytic converters the same morning of the theft. Boeka was seen in surveillance photos from the scrap yard.
A worker at the scrap yard said he remembered a white Range Rover and Boeka “as he didn't fit the description of his typical clients, as he was very clean cut and drove a nice car.”
Two of the three catalytic converter were still at the scrap yard.
