Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft charges Friday after detectives found greater 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 crucial role in decreasing vehicle emissions.

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

“We have been very stunned on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face further expenses.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automobile and truck house owners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who're faced with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even when they find the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters aren't imprinted at the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they are chopped open for the dear metals they include.

Changing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance industry group that works to combat insurance coverage 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, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last yr.

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

That features Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of situations a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that purchase official used units. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor car's serial quantity and retain it for at the very least every week in authentic condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 superb for the primary offense, a $2,000 high-quality for a second and a minimum of double that for every further time they are caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements may 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 may require serial numbers on new devices, supply grants for packages to stamp numbers on current cars and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a critical step in helping deliver aid to individuals instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often does not cover a automobile proprietor's losses. Someone carrying just legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with complete coverage, there is a deductible which may be excessive sufficient that it isn't price submitting a declare.

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