Two men from Greenwood County are facing criminal charges after a sprawling, multi-agency investigation tied them to a theft ring accused of stripping catalytic converters and diesel particulate filter parts off school buses across South Carolina and Georgia. Andrew Ramon Kelley, 29, and Jonathan Ward Fetrow-Smith, 28, are both in custody, and investigators say the case is far from over.
The arrests stem from an ongoing, large-scale investigation into thefts that hit school bus yards throughout the summer, according to WYFF. The Edgefield County Sheriff's Office announced the two arrests following the multi-agency probe into stolen catalytic converters and diesel particulate filter parts pulled from buses. Kelley was charged on June 12 with ten offenses by the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office, including grand larceny of $10,000 or more, obtaining nonferrous metals unlawfully, unlawful entry into enclosed places, intentional damage to property, petit larceny of $2,000 or less, damaging or tampering with a vehicle, two counts of criminal conspiracy, possession of implements capable of being used in a crime, and furnishing contraband in a detention facility. He was booked into the Orangeburg County Detention Center.
Fetrow-Smith, who like Kelley is from Greenwood County, was charged a day later, on June 13, by the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office with receiving stolen goods worth more than $2,000 but less than $10,000. He was booked into the Greenwood County Detention Center.
A Theft Ring That Crossed County and State Lines
The investigation that led to the two arrests pulled in at least sixteen agencies stretching across South Carolina and into Georgia, per the same report from WYFF. Among the agencies involved: the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the South Carolina Department of Education, the Chester Police Department, the Lexington Police Department, the Lexington County Sheriff's Office, the Newberry Police Department, the Laurens Police Department, and sheriff's offices in Orangeburg, Greenwood, Edgefield, Aiken, McCormick, Abbeville, Anderson, and Greenville counties, plus the Richmond County Sheriff's Office in Georgia.
Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said his office doubled down on protecting the county's bus yards, an effort that led to Kelley's arrest. Edgefield County Sheriff Jody Rowland said the cooperating agencies identified suspects, obtained search warrants, and made arrests that stopped losses to state school systems. Rowland added that the investigation remains ongoing and that additional arrests are expected.
Why Buses Became Easy Targets
School buses and other commercial fleet vehicles are especially attractive to catalytic converter thieves because their high ground clearance lets crews slide underneath and cut the exhaust system loose without needing a hydraulic jack, according to Church Mutual. School buses parked for extended periods can give thieves a predictable opportunity to work.
The payoff can be considerably larger than what a thief would get off an ordinary car. Diesel buses rely on specialized diesel particulate filters and catalytic converters loaded with platinum, palladium, and rhodium, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, which notes that a typical car converter might fetch $50 to $250 at a scrap yard.
State Law Puts Steep Penalties on the Table
An amendment proposal concerning S.C. Code § 16-17-680 includes language that would make it illegal for anyone without a nonferrous metals permit issued by a county sheriff to possess, transport, acquire, or sell a used, detached catalytic converter or its parts, according to the South Carolina Legislature. Separately, S.C. Code § 16-11-523 makes it a felony punishable by up to ten years in prison to intentionally damage property in order to obtain nonferrous metals worth $5,000 or more, per Justia Law.
Secondary metals recyclers face their own set of restrictions meant to choke off the market for stolen parts. The supplied source material describes penalties for specified catalytic-converter violations and mentions permit revocation after conviction, according to the South Carolina Sheriffs' Association. The report does not identify where the stolen converters and diesel particulate filters were sold or whether any secondary dealer violated reporting requirements.
Greenville County Buses Still Sidelined
Six Greenville County school buses were hit by thieves over the summer, and as of the report, all six remained disabled because replacement catalytic converters are backlogged. Greenville County Schools said spare buses in its fleet prevented any impact on students despite the losses. According to a Greenville County Schools PEP Facts & Figures document, about $34 million per year was needed to meet a 15-year school-bus replacement cycle, while the legislature appropriated $19.4 million for new buses in 2018-19. A March 2018 Greenville County Schools Transportation Workgroup Summary Report said the district had 40 high-risk vehicles in its state Department of Education bus fleet, many of them transporting students daily.
The thefts fit into a broader pattern seen across the country. Nationwide catalytic converter thefts fell 68 percent in 2024, dropping to 14,036 reported insurance claims from more than 43,000 the year before, according to Kelley Blue Book. Even so, catalytic-converter theft remains a broader issue.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about catalytic converter or diesel particulate filter thefts to report it to local law enforcement. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division also accepts tips at [email protected]. Whether additional co-conspirators will face charges as the investigation continues remains unresolved.
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