Crime & Safety
Chemung County, NY Arrest: Man Accused in Converter Thefts
Elmira, NY – A 30 year old Elmira man faces three felony charges after Chemung County investigators linked him to catalytic converters allegedly cut from vehicles at a business in Big Flats.
By Rachel Monroe · 2026-09-30T19:54:07.494Z
Elmira, NY – A 30 year old Elmira man faces three felony charges after Chemung County investigators linked him to catalytic converters allegedly cut from vehicles at a business in Big Flats.
According to the Chemung County Sheriff ’s Office, its Road Patrol Division responded Sept. 26 to a complaint involving stolen property in the Town of Big Flats, near Elmira in New York’s Southern Tier.
Deputies said their initial investigation resulted in Sean M. Ribble, 30, being arrested on various misdemeanor charges. Authorities did not identify those initial charges in the announcement.
A short time after Ribble was released from custody, deputies received another complaint from a neighboring business reporting that catalytic converters had allegedly been cut from its vehicles.
Investigators determined the alleged converter thefts occurred around the same time as the original incident, according to the sheriff’s office. Road Patrol deputies forwarded information involving Ribble and the initial investigation to the agency’s Criminal Investigation Division.
The sheriff’s office said investigators subsequently verified parts and other information connected to the stolen catalytic converters and identified Ribble as the person allegedly responsible.
After a search, Ribble was located in the City of Elmira and taken into custody.
He was charged with second degree criminal mischief, third degree grand larceny and third degree criminal possession of stolen property. The sheriff’s office said all three charges are Class D felonies.
Ribble was arraigned in Town of Big Flats Court and remanded to the Chemung County Jail on $1,500 bail.