Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with a number of theft costs Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto elements that play a crucial function in lowering vehicle emissions.

The discovery adopted 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 were very surprised at the quantity 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 shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face further prices.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of car and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're faced with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to unravel even if they find the stolen parts.

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

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

The insurance group counted just 3,969 reviews of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last 12 months.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of cases a crime and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that purchase legitimate used gadgets. They must mark the item with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for not less than a week in unique situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 advantageous for the first offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and not less than double that for each additional time they are caught. Those possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new devices, provide grants for programs to stamp numbers on existing cars and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance usually doesn't cover a automotive owner's losses. Someone carrying simply legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible which may be excessive sufficient that it's not price filing a declare.

“Lastly, some victims even with coverage might 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 said Friday.