Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with a number of theft fees Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto elements that play a important function in lowering automobile emissions.

The discovery adopted a months-long investigation that began 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 on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 buying and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face further expenses.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of 1000's of car and truck owners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're faced with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to solve even if they discover the stolen components.

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

Changing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage business 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 more than 52,000 last 12 months.

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

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many instances a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that purchase reliable used devices. They need to mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for at the least a week in original condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 effective for the primary offense, a $2,000 superb for a second and not less than double that for every further time they are caught. These possessing or attempting to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can also be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new gadgets, supply grants for programs to stamp numbers on present vehicles and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

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

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

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