An Ocklawaha woman is behind bars after Marion County sheriff’s detectives found 42 catalytic converters inside her home.
Property crimes detectives executed a search warrant Wednesday at 42-year-old Rosa Ivelisse Kodjafachian’s residence, located at 10735 S.E. 131st Ln. in Ocklawaha. During the search, they also found invoices dating back to 2018 that detailed large quantities of catalytic converters having been sold to a company in Texas, a sheriff’s office report states.
The sheriff’s office received information that Kodjafachian, who holds secondhand dealer credentials, is the primary buyer of catalytic converters in Marion County. Sources also confirmed that she did not typically require any identification or proof of ownership for the converters she purchased, the report says.
Detectives believe this intentional failure to maintain records and disregard for the regulations on her business has significantly contributed to the recent thefts of catalytic converters in the local area. Since Jan. 1, the sheriff’s office has received reports of more than 90 catalytic converter thefts, the report says.
Kodjafachian was placed under arrest and transported to the Marion County Jail, where she was charged with failure to maintain records and purchasing regulated metals from sellers without a vehicle. She is being held on $40,000 bond and is due in court March 9 at 9 a.m. to answer to the charges, jail records show.