Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with a number of theft charges 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 expensive auto elements that play a important position in reducing car emissions.

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

“We had been very shocked at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 additional costs.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automotive 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 troublesome to unravel even when they discover the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters usually are not imprinted on the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they're chopped open for the valuable metals they contain.

Replacing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in keeping with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage industry 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 just 3,969 stories of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 final 12 months.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. According to the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this year in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of instances against the law and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that purchase authentic used units. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for not less than a week in unique condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fantastic for the first offense, a $2,000 nice for a second and not less than double that for every extra time they're caught. These possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can also be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new gadgets, provide grants for packages to stamp numbers on present automobiles and trucks and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a important step in helping bring aid to folks straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance usually does not cover a automobile proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible that may be excessive sufficient that it's not price submitting a declare.

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