Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft prices 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 expensive auto parts that play a crucial role in reducing car emissions.

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

“We had been very surprised at the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated in a police video taken Thursday as officers have been 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 additional fees.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of automobile and truck owners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who are faced with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to resolve even if they discover the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters usually are not imprinted on the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they're chopped open for the dear metals they comprise.

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

The insurance group counted simply 3,969 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more 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. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced this 12 months in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many cases a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that purchase respectable used gadgets. They must mark the item with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for at the least a week in authentic situation.

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

Federal legislation can also be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new devices, provide grants for applications to stamp numbers on current vehicles and trucks and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance usually doesn't cowl a automobile owner's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with complete coverage, there is a deductible that may be excessive enough that it's not value submitting a declare.

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