Jay Lenois railing against the light punishment for most perps caught stealing catalytic converters as the L.A. crime wave is turning deadly … specifically with the recent murder of “General Hospital” actor Johnny Wactor.
The stand-up comic and renowned car guru tells TMZ … it’s outrageous the penalty for ripping off converters — usually a $1,000 fine amounting to just a misdemeanor charge — isn’t vastly harsher.
JL adds … The slap on the wrist most thieves receive — if they even get nabbed — is the reason they’re so brazen.
The former ‘Tonight Show’ host pointed out it’s against federal law for a car owner to remove their own converter — which some have done under the false assumption there will be better performance — and it can result in a gigantic fine.
In California, the crime is merely a misdemeanor if the value of the converter, or any stolen property for that matter, is less than $950 – which is why certain cars are targeted. All converters have precious metals to be smelted down – the reason thieves take them – but some models are cheaper than others. Hence, lighter punishment.
Leno tells TMZ, in most cases, it costs victims thousands of dollars to replace a stolen converter. If that weren’t bad enough … they may have to wait months for the repair due to the huge backorder … because of the massive uptick in thefts!
In his estimation, the clowns behind the crime are likely getting around $20 a pop, which is why they steal so damn many.
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LAPD is still searching for the trio of catalytic converter thieves, one of whom shot and killed Wactor in downtown L.A. in the early morning hours of May 25.
