Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft charges Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto elements that play a critical function in reducing car emissions.

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

“We had been very shocked on the amount 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 will face additional fees.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of automobile and truck owners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who are confronted with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to solve even when they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted on the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they're chopped open for the precious metals they include.

Replacing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, according to the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance industry 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 simply 3,969 reviews of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last year.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In keeping with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced this 12 months 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 instances a crime and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that purchase professional used units. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for at least every week in unique condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 positive for the first offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and at the least double that for each further time they're caught. Those possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation is also in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new devices, offer grants for packages to stamp numbers on existing vehicles and vehicles and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a important step in helping carry relief to folks instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance often does not cowl a automobile proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply legal responsibility protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with comprehensive protection, there is a deductible that could be high enough that it's not value submitting a declare.

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