Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through a number of theft costs Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto components that play a critical role in lowering car emissions.

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

“We had been very shocked on the amount 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 extra expenses.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of car and truck house owners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are faced with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to resolve even when they find the stolen parts.

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

Changing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in response to the National 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 each converter.

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

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In accordance with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this yr 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 crime and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that purchase reliable used devices. They must mark the item with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for no less than per week in unique condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high-quality for the primary offense, a $2,000 superb for a second and not less than double that for each further time they're caught. These possessing or trying to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new gadgets, offer grants for applications to stamp numbers on present cars and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance usually doesn't cowl a automobile owner's losses. Somebody carrying just liability protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible that may be high sufficient that it's not price submitting a declare.

“Lastly, some victims even with coverage may deal with the problem as a mechanical concern and just pay for it themselves and never notify their insurer,” insurance coverage crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman stated Friday.