Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft fees Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a important position in decreasing 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 close to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We were very surprised on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 will face further expenses.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automobile and truck house owners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who're confronted with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to solve even if they discover the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters are not imprinted on 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 comprise.

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

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

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of instances a crime and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that purchase reputable used devices. They must mark the item with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for no less than a week in original situation.

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

Federal legislation is also in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new gadgets, offer grants for packages to stamp numbers on current automobiles and vehicles and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a crucial step in serving to deliver aid to individuals directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically doesn't cover a automobile owner's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with complete coverage, there's a deductible that may be high sufficient that it is not worth filing a declare.

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