Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft costs Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto components that play a vital role in reducing car emissions.

The invention followed a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that someone was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We have been very surprised on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated in a police video taken Thursday as officers were pulling converters from the jam-packed storage locker.

The 48-year-old man who police say was buying and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face further prices.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck owners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are confronted with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to unravel even when they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted at the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market the place they're chopped open for the precious metals they include.

Changing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in response to the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance industry group that works to combat insurance coverage fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for each converter.

The insurance group counted simply 3,969 experiences of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 last yr.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this year in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many instances a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that buy legit used devices. They need to mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for not less than every week in original condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fine for the primary offense, a $2,000 advantageous for a second and a minimum of double that for each additional time they're caught. Those possessing or trying to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation is also within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new gadgets, offer grants for programs to stamp numbers on existing automobiles and vehicles and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a important step in helping deliver aid to individuals instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often doesn't cover a automobile proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying just liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with complete protection, there is a deductible that could be high enough that it isn't price filing a claim.

“Lastly, some victims even with protection could deal with the issue as a mechanical problem and just pay for it themselves and by no means notify their insurer,” insurance crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman mentioned Friday.