Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with multiple theft charges Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto components that play a important role in decreasing car emissions.

The invention 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 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 should face further expenses.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automotive and truck house owners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are confronted with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to resolve even if they find the stolen parts.

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

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

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

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

That includes Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many situations a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that buy reliable used devices. They have to mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for at the very least a week in authentic situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 effective for the primary offense, a $2,000 high quality for a second and at the very least double that for each extra time they're caught. These possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can also be in 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 gadgets, provide grants for applications to stamp numbers on existing vehicles and vans and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance often does not cowl a car proprietor's losses. Someone carrying just legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with complete protection, there is a deductible that could be excessive enough that it is not worth submitting a declare.

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