Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing 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 national surge in thefts of the expensive auto elements that play a crucial function in decreasing automobile emissions.

The invention followed a months-long investigation that began with a January tip that someone was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space close to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We have been very stunned on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 buying and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face further prices.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck owners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're confronted with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is tough to unravel even if they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters will not be imprinted on the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they are chopped open for the valuable metals they include.

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

The insurance coverage group counted simply 3,969 studies of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final 12 months.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In accordance with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this year 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 cases a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that buy reputable used devices. They need to mark the item with the donor car's serial quantity and retain it for not less than a week in authentic situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fantastic for the primary offense, a $2,000 tremendous for a second and a minimum of double that for every further time they're caught. These possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can also be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new units, offer grants for packages to stamp numbers on present cars and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a vital step in serving to convey aid to individuals immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage typically doesn't cover a automotive owner's losses. Someone carrying just liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete invoice. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible which may be excessive sufficient that it isn't price submitting a declare.

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