Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple 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 expensive auto elements that play a important role in decreasing vehicle emissions.

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

“We had been very stunned on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 shopping for and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face extra expenses.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck house owners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are confronted with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even if they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they're chopped open for the dear metals they comprise.

Changing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance industry group that works to combat insurance fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for each converter.

The insurance group counted simply 3,969 experiences of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 last yr.

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

That features Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many instances against the law and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that buy reliable used devices. They must mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for no less than every week in original situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 advantageous for the first offense, a $2,000 fine for a second and no less than double that for each extra time they are caught. These possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new devices, offer grants for applications to stamp numbers on present automobiles and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a essential step in helping bring aid to individuals immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage usually does not cover a automobile proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply legal responsibility protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible that could be excessive enough that it's not worth submitting a claim.

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