Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft costs Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a vital position in reducing automobile emissions.

The discovery followed a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that someone was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial area near Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport.

“We were very surprised at the quantity 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 shopping for and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face further prices.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of car and truck owners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are faced with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is tough to solve even if they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters will not be imprinted on the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they are chopped open for the precious metals they contain.

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

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

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken discover, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this year in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of cases against the law and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that purchase professional used units. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for no less than a week in authentic situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 advantageous for the first offense, a $2,000 high quality for a second and at the least double that for each additional time they are caught. Those possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new gadgets, offer grants for applications to stamp numbers on existing vehicles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a vital step in helping convey reduction to people instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage typically does not cowl a car proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply legal responsibility protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with complete protection, there is a deductible that may be excessive enough that it is not worth submitting a claim.

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