Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft fees Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto components that play a essential role in reducing car emissions.

The invention followed a months-long investigation that began with a January tip that somebody was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space close to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We had been very shocked at the amount 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 buying and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face extra fees.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automobile and truck owners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who're faced with a criminal offense that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even when they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters usually are not imprinted on the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they're chopped open for the valuable metals they contain.

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

The insurance coverage group counted just 3,969 studies 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 discover, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In accordance with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched 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 buy respectable used units. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for no less than per week in authentic situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fantastic for the primary offense, a $2,000 advantageous for a second and at least double that for each extra time they are caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new devices, offer grants for packages to stamp numbers on current cars and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a critical step in helping bring relief to individuals directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically doesn't cover a car proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply legal responsibility protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there is a deductible that could be high enough that it isn't price submitting a claim.

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