Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft prices 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 parts that play a critical role in lowering automobile 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 have been very surprised on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned in a police video taken Thursday as officers were pulling converters from the jam-packed storage locker.

The 48-year-old man who police say was buying and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face additional costs.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck house owners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who're faced with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to solve even when they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters should not imprinted at the factory 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 price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage business group that works to fight insurance coverage 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, more than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 last 12 months.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this yr 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 cases a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that purchase professional used devices. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for at least a week in authentic condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fine for the primary offense, a $2,000 effective for a second and not less than double that for each additional time they're caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws is also within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new units, supply grants for programs to stamp numbers on current automobiles and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance typically doesn't cowl a automobile owner's losses. Someone carrying just liability protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible which may be high sufficient that it's not value filing a claim.

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