Phoenix cops discover 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 national surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a vital function in lowering automobile emissions.

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

“We have been very shocked at the amount 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 shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face extra fees.

The massive 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 are confronted with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even when they find the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters are not imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they're chopped open for the precious metals they include.

Replacing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage trade 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 simply 3,969 reviews of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater 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 harder for criminals to unload their loot. According to the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features 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 provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that buy reliable used units. They have to mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for at least every week in original situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fantastic for the first offense, a $2,000 superb for a second and at the least double that for every extra time they're caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation is also in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new devices, provide grants for programs to stamp numbers on present automobiles and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a vital step in helping carry reduction to people immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance usually does not cover a automobile owner's losses. Someone carrying simply legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with complete protection, there is a deductible which may be excessive sufficient that it's not price submitting a claim.

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