Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

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

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

“We were very stunned at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 further fees.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of automobile and truck owners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're confronted with against the law that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to solve even if they discover the stolen parts.

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

Changing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in response to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance industry 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 just 3,969 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 last 12 months.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this 12 months in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of instances against the law and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that buy reputable used units. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for at the least a week in unique condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high quality for the first offense, a $2,000 effective for a second and not less than 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 necessities could 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 National Insurance Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new units, supply grants for applications to stamp numbers on existing automobiles and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a essential step in helping deliver aid to folks immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically doesn't cowl a car owner's losses. Someone carrying simply liability coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible which may be excessive enough that it isn't worth submitting a claim.

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