Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft expenses Friday after detectives found greater 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 critical position in lowering automobile emissions.

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

“We have been 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 will face extra charges.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automobile and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are faced with a criminal offense that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even if they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters should not imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market the place they're chopped open for the precious metals they comprise.

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

The insurance group counted simply 3,969 reviews of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 final year.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced this year 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 a crime and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that purchase professional used gadgets. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for not less than a week in unique condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 superb for the first offense, a $2,000 effective for a second and at the very least 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 laws is also in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new units, offer grants for applications to stamp numbers on current cars and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a important step in helping deliver aid to individuals instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance often doesn't cover a automotive owner's losses. Somebody carrying simply legal responsibility protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there is a deductible that may be excessive sufficient that it is not worth filing a claim.

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