Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with multiple theft fees Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto components that play a critical position in lowering automobile emissions.

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

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

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

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automobile and truck owners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are confronted with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to solve even if they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters should not imprinted on the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they're chopped open for the precious metals they contain.

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

The insurance coverage group counted simply 3,969 stories of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 final 12 months.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. According to the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many instances against the law and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that buy respectable used devices. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for at the very least a week in original condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 nice for the primary offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and no less than double that for each further time they're caught. Those possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation is also in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new units, offer grants for programs to stamp numbers on current vehicles and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a vital step in helping carry reduction to individuals immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage typically does not cowl a car proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible that may be high sufficient that it is not value submitting a claim.

“Lastly, some victims even with protection might treat the problem as a mechanical concern and simply pay for it themselves and never notify their insurer,” insurance coverage crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman said Friday.