Mar 31, 2021 A judge has sentenced a catalytic converter thief to a year in prison. The Multnomah County District Attorney's office says it's the first time in Oregon that someone has been sentenced for "Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle" for jacking up a vehicle and stealing the catalytic converter. The victim was parked at a Multnomah County Library branch and the theft was caught on video. It took Dereck Conant two minutes to jack up the vehicle and complete the theft. Conant pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Use of a Motor Vehicle. Catalytic converters contain expensive metals. The Oregon legislature is considering a bill that would require metal recyclers to get the vehicle identification number for any catalytic converter they buy.