Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft expenses Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto elements that play a vital function in decreasing car emissions.

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

“We had been very shocked on 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 selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face extra fees.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automobile and truck homeowners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are confronted with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to unravel even if they find the stolen components.

Catalytic converters usually are not imprinted on the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they're chopped open for the dear metals they contain.

Changing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, according to the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage industry 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 reports 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 notice, introducing legislation designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched 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 many cases a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that purchase respectable used devices. They must mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for at the very least a week in authentic situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fine for the first offense, a $2,000 tremendous for a second and no less than double that for each additional time they're 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 laws 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 units, offer grants for programs to stamp numbers on current vehicles and trucks and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a essential step in helping carry aid to individuals straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage typically doesn't cowl a car owner's losses. Somebody carrying simply legal responsibility protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with complete coverage, there is a deductible that may be high sufficient that it's not value filing a claim.

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