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 more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto parts that play a critical function in lowering car emissions.

The invention adopted a months-long investigation that began 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 on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 will face extra expenses.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of car and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are confronted with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to unravel even if they find the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters aren't imprinted at 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 comprise.

Changing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in accordance with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance industry 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 just 3,969 reviews of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 final yr.

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

That features Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many situations a crime and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that purchase legitimate used devices. They must mark the merchandise with the donor car's serial number and retain it for not less than a week in unique situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fine for the primary offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and at the very least double that for each additional time they're caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements might face a six-month jail sentence.

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

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

Insurance coverage often doesn't cowl a car proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply legal responsibility protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with comprehensive protection, there is a deductible which may be excessive enough that it isn't value filing a declare.

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