Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with a number of theft charges 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 expensive auto parts that play a critical position in reducing 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 space near Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport.

“We were very stunned at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated in a police video taken Thursday as officers have been pulling converters from the jam-packed storage locker.

The 48-year-old man who police say was shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face extra expenses.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of automobile and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are faced with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to solve even when they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters are usually 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, based on the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage industry group that works to combat insurance coverage fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for each converter.

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

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. Based on the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this year 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 many instances against the law and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that buy respectable used units. They have to mark the item with the donor car's serial number and retain it for not less than per week in unique condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 tremendous for the first offense, a $2,000 high-quality for a second and not less than double that for every extra time they're caught. Those possessing or trying to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws is also within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new units, provide grants for programs to stamp numbers on existing vehicles and vehicles and make it simpler 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 individuals immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often doesn't cowl a automobile proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible that may be excessive sufficient that it's not price submitting a declare.

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