Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

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

The discovery followed a months-long investigation that began 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 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 buying and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face further expenses.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck owners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are confronted with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to solve even when they find the stolen elements.

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

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

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

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the Nationwide Insurance 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 lots of cases a crime and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that buy authentic used gadgets. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for no less than a week in unique situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 advantageous for the primary offense, a $2,000 high-quality for a second and at least double that for each further time they are caught. Those possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can also be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new devices, offer grants for programs to stamp numbers on existing automobiles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a essential step in helping convey relief to folks immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance often doesn't cowl a automobile proprietor's losses. Someone carrying just liability protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible that could be excessive enough that it is not price submitting a claim.

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