Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing 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 expensive auto parts that play a crucial position in decreasing automobile emissions.

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

“We have been very stunned at the amount 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 promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face further costs.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automobile and truck owners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are faced with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is tough to solve even when they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters should not imprinted at the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they are chopped open for the valuable metals they include.

Replacing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in response to the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance trade 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 just 3,969 stories of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last 12 months.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In accordance with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of cases against the law and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that purchase professional used units. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for not less than per week in unique condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high quality for the first offense, a $2,000 superb for a second and at the very least double that for each additional time they're caught. These possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities could 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 National Insurance Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new gadgets, 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 vital step in serving to convey relief to individuals instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage usually doesn't cowl 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 which may be high enough that it's not price submitting a declare.

“Lastly, some victims even with protection could treat the issue as a mechanical issue and just pay for it themselves and by no means notify their insurer,” insurance coverage crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman stated Friday.