This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A 29-year-old man who stole catalytic converters from 19 school-lunch delivery trucks has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to prison for up to five years.
Tyson Brent Anderson pleaded guilty to three counts of theft and one count of criminal mischief, all third-degree felonies punishable by zero-to-five-year prison terms.
Third District Judge Terry Christiansen on Tuesday ordered the convictions to run concurrently. They are also to run concurrently with two other cases, in which Anderson pleaded guilty to third-degree felony counts of drug possession and theft.
Anderson was arrested Aug. 5, four days after he broke into Salt Lake City School District's gated parking lot in South Salt Lake and stole the converters, which are used to clean the trucks' exhaust.
Police said the converters contain platinum and are worth about $50 each at scrap yards.
Thanks to tips, police found Anderson living in a makeshift storage shed in downtown Salt Lake City. Officers also found 20 stolen catalytic converters in the storage unit, as well as tools stolen in other burglaries.
A few blocks away, police found a stolen pickup believed to have been used in the thefts.
Drivers discovered the converter thefts on a Monday morning, as they prepared to deliver free lunches to more than 1,000 children as part of a federally funded program.
Authorities estimated repairs to the vehicles could cost more than $9,000. The judge asked attorneys to submit a restitution request in the criminal case by mid-December.
Anderson has a criminal history of receiving stolen property, driving under the influence and driver license violations dating back to 2002.