Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with multiple theft prices 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 important position in reducing car emissions.

The discovery adopted 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 were very shocked on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 may face further costs.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automotive and truck homeowners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are confronted with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to unravel even when they find the stolen components.

Catalytic converters aren't imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they're chopped open for the precious metals they comprise.

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

The insurance group counted simply 3,969 stories of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final year.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In accordance with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced 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 lots of cases a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that purchase legit used devices. They must mark the item with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for not less than a week in original condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fantastic for the primary offense, a $2,000 high-quality for a second and at least double that for each extra time they are caught. These possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation is also in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new devices, offer grants for applications to stamp numbers on current automobiles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a important step in serving to convey aid to folks straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance often does not cover a car owner's losses. Someone carrying just liability protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete invoice. Even with complete coverage, there is a deductible that may be high sufficient that it's not price filing a declare.

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