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 into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto parts that play a essential position in reducing vehicle emissions.

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

“We have been very shocked at the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 shopping for and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face further expenses.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automobile and truck house owners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are confronted with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to solve even when they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters aren't imprinted at the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they're chopped open for the dear metals they comprise.

Replacing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in response to the National Insurance coverage 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 every converter.

The insurance coverage group counted just 3,969 experiences of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 final year.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. Based on the Nationwide Insurance 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 invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many situations a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that buy authentic used units. They need to mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for at the very least a week in unique situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high quality for the primary offense, a $2,000 fine for a second and no less than double that for each further time they're 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 laws 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, provide grants for packages to stamp numbers on current vehicles and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance coverage usually doesn't cover a automobile owner's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the complete invoice. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible which may be high enough that it isn't price filing a claim.

“Lastly, some victims even with coverage may deal with the problem as a mechanical issue and just pay for it themselves and by no means notify their insurer,” insurance coverage crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman mentioned Friday.