Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through a number of theft charges Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto parts that play a important position in reducing car emissions.

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

“We were very shocked on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said in a police video taken Thursday as officers have 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 further charges.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of thousands of automobile and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who are confronted with against the law that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to unravel even when they find the stolen components.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted on the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they are chopped open for the valuable metals they contain.

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

The insurance coverage group counted just 3,969 reviews of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 last 12 months.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In keeping with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced this 12 months 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 cases a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that buy authentic used devices. They must mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for a minimum of a week in original situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 wonderful for the primary offense, a $2,000 tremendous for a second and a minimum of double that for every further time they're caught. These possessing or making an attempt to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws is also within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new units, provide grants for packages to stamp numbers on existing vehicles and trucks and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a important step in serving to carry reduction to individuals directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage usually does not cover a automotive proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible that may be high enough that it isn't worth filing a declare.

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