Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with a number of theft expenses Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto parts that play a critical role in decreasing vehicle emissions.

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

“We have been very surprised at the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face further costs.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automotive and truck homeowners in the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're faced with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to resolve even if they discover the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted on the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they are chopped open for the precious metals they contain.

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

The insurance coverage group counted just 3,969 studies of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 final yr.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this year 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 cases a crime and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that buy legit used units. They need to mark the item with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for at least a week in unique situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 wonderful for the primary offense, a $2,000 tremendous for a second and a minimum of double that for every further time they're caught. Those possessing or attempting to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new units, supply grants for programs to stamp numbers on existing automobiles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a important step in serving to deliver relief to individuals immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance usually does not cowl a car proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there is a deductible that could be excessive sufficient that it's not value filing a claim.

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