Alvin Man Arrested for Operating Illegal Chop Shop, $320k in Stolen Vehicle Parts Recovered
Investigators with the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office, as part of the Gulf Coast Auto Crimes Task Force, arrested 43-year-old Christopher Knippers of Alvin, Texas, for 1st Degree Felony Theft of Property valued at over $300,000.
The investigation began in May 2024 when the task force received a tip suggesting that Knippers was running an illegal chop shop under the name “South East Diesel and Performance” from his residential property in Alvin.
A search warrant executed at the property uncovered numerous stolen vehicle components with a total estimated value of $320,868.58. Several stolen vehicles with tampered or fictitious Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) were also recovered. Many of these vehicles had been reported stolen from various states.
Knippers was indicted by the Brazoria County Grand Jury and booked into the Brazoria County Jail, where he is being held on a $75,000 bond.
The Gulf Coast Auto Crimes Task Force, a state-funded initiative, investigates auto theft-related crimes in Galveston, Brazoria, and Matagorda counties. An anonymous tip from a concerned citizen played a critical role in uncovering the operation, highlighting the importance of community involvement in combatting organized crime.
The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office thanked the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, Galveston Police Department, La Marque Police Department, and League City Police Department for their support in this investigation.
