Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through a number of theft costs Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the expensive auto parts that play a critical role in reducing automobile emissions.

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

“We were very shocked on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 shopping for and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face extra costs.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automotive and truck owners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're confronted with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to resolve even when they discover the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters should not imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they're chopped open for the precious metals they include.

Changing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in keeping with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance 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 simply 3,969 reviews 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 harder for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this 12 months in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of instances a crime and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that purchase authentic used units. They need to mark the item with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for a minimum of per week in unique condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 advantageous for the first offense, a $2,000 high quality for a second and at least double that for each further time they are caught. These possessing or making an attempt to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can also be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new devices, provide grants for programs to stamp numbers on existing automobiles and trucks and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a critical step in serving to deliver relief to people immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance often does not cover a automobile owner's losses. Somebody carrying just liability protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with complete coverage, there is a deductible that could be excessive enough that it's not price submitting a declare.

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