Catalytic Converter Heist At Troy School District: Criminal Charges Filed Against These 2 Men

JOLIET, IL — More than a year and half has passed since the Troy School District suffered a devastating, totally unexpected blow: the Joliet area school district was the victim of an overnight catalytic converter theft to most of its yellow school buses. The crimes remained a mystery, until last week.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office has filed six felony charges against two men from out of town: 30-year-old Osha Calhoun of Indianapolis and 36-year-old Anthony Shine Jr. out of Chicago. Both men will be detained in the Will County Jail upon their capture by Illinois law enforcement officials and prosecutors intend to file a petition to deny their pretrial release once they are captured.

Their charges include theft between $10,000 and $100,000, criminal damage to government property, receiving or possessing stolen vehicle parts. The Tri-County Auto Theft unit which is affiliated and has a partnership with the Joliet Police Department, oversaw the investigation.

According to the Joliet Police Department press release of the crime:

Officers responded on the morning of Feb. 10, 2025, to the Troy School District Transportation Lot at 5800 Theodore Street for a report of the theft of catalytic converters from numerous school district buses. catalytic converters had been cut from 30 school district buses between the hours of 2 and 3 a.m.

The suspect vehicle was described as a dark colored SUV last seen in the area of Riviera Boulevard and Leonard Drive shortly after 3 a.m.

School officials only learned of the catalytic convert thefts when the bus drivers arrived that Monday morning in preparation for their regular morning routes.

The Joliet Police Department said their agency and the Tri County Auto Theft Task Force were working very closely with officials from the Troy 30-C School District to learn more about these thefts that have forced the school district to transition to an e-learning school day.

Troy consists of five elementary schools, one intermediate school and one middle school. Roughly 700 faculty and staff serve approximately 4,500 students from preschool through eighth grade in Joliet, Plainfield, Shorewood, and parts of Channahon, according to the district's website.