Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with multiple theft fees Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto parts that play a vital function in decreasing 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 space near Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport.

“We have been very stunned at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face further charges.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of thousands of automotive and truck owners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who are faced with a criminal offense that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even when they discover the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters should not imprinted on the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they are chopped open for the precious metals they contain.

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

The insurance group counted just 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 discover, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. Based on the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many instances a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that buy legitimate used devices. They must mark the merchandise with the donor car's serial quantity and retain it for no less than a week in original situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fantastic for the primary offense, a $2,000 fine for a second and at the very least double that for every additional time they are caught. Those possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can also be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new gadgets, supply grants for packages to stamp numbers on existing vehicles and vehicles and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance typically does not cover a car owner's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible which may be excessive sufficient that it isn't price submitting a claim.

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