Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with multiple theft expenses Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto components that play a essential role in decreasing automobile emissions.

The discovery 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 have been very stunned on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 should face further charges.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of car and truck owners in the pocketbook and frustrated 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 usually are not imprinted on the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they're chopped open for the precious metals they include.

Replacing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, according to the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage 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 group counted simply 3,969 studies of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 last year.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this 12 months in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many cases against the law and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that buy legit used devices. They must mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for at the least every week in authentic situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 wonderful for the first offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and no less than double that for each additional time they are caught. These possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new devices, provide grants for programs to stamp numbers on current cars and vehicles and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance usually does not cowl a automotive proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible which may be excessive sufficient that it's not value submitting a claim.

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