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 crucial position in decreasing car emissions.

The discovery adopted a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that somebody was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space close to Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport.

“We were very surprised at the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 extra charges.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automobile and truck owners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're faced with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to unravel even if they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters aren't imprinted on the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they're chopped open for the precious metals they include.

Replacing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in response to the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance trade 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 stories of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 last year.

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 Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this 12 months in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many situations against the law and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that buy reliable used devices. They must mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for at least every week in unique situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 tremendous for the primary offense, a $2,000 advantageous for a second and no less than double that for every extra time they are caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to sell 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 bill backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new units, provide grants for programs to stamp numbers on present automobiles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a essential step in serving to bring relief to folks directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance usually doesn't cowl a car proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible that could be excessive enough that it isn't value submitting a claim.

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