Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with multiple theft charges 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 expensive auto elements that play a vital role in decreasing car emissions.

The invention followed a months-long investigation that began with a January tip that someone was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial area close to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We had been very shocked at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 will face further charges.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automobile and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are confronted with against the law that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to unravel even when they discover the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters will not be imprinted on the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market the place they are chopped open for the precious metals they comprise.

Replacing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in response to the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage trade group that works to fight insurance fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for each converter.

The insurance coverage group counted simply 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 notice, introducing laws designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this year in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of situations a crime and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that purchase professional used gadgets. They must mark the item with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for at the least a week in unique situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 wonderful for the first offense, a $2,000 advantageous for a second and at the very least double that for each further time they're caught. These possessing or trying to sell a used catalytic converter that do not 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 bill backed by the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new gadgets, supply grants for packages to stamp numbers on existing vehicles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a vital step in serving to deliver aid to individuals straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance often does not cover a automobile owner's losses. Someone carrying simply legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with comprehensive protection, there is a deductible that may be high enough that it's not value filing a declare.

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