Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft prices 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 function in decreasing automobile emissions.

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

“We were very shocked on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 should face additional charges.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of thousands of automobile and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who're confronted with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to solve even if they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters usually are not imprinted at the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they are chopped open for the dear metals they contain.

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

The insurance coverage group counted simply 3,969 reviews 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 notice, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this yr 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 lots of situations against the law and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that purchase professional used gadgets. They must mark the item with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for no less than every week in authentic condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 positive for the primary offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and at the very least double that for every additional time they're caught. Those possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can also 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 devices, supply grants for packages to stamp numbers on existing cars and trucks and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance coverage usually does not cover a automobile proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply liability protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with comprehensive protection, there is a deductible that could be high sufficient that it is not worth submitting a declare.

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