Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft costs Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a essential role in decreasing automobile emissions.

The discovery followed 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 International Airport.

“We were very shocked at the quantity 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 buying and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face additional costs.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automobile and truck house owners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who are faced with a criminal offense that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to unravel even if they find the stolen components.

Catalytic converters usually are not imprinted at the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market the place they are chopped open for the dear metals they contain.

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

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

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken discover, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In accordance with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this yr 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 many cases a crime and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that purchase respectable used devices. They have to mark the item with the donor car's serial number and retain it for at the very least every week in original condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high quality for the primary offense, a $2,000 high-quality for a second and at the least double that for each additional time they're caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new units, provide grants for packages to stamp numbers on present cars and trucks and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance typically doesn't cover a automobile owner's losses. Somebody carrying just liability protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible that may be excessive sufficient that it's not value submitting a declare.

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