Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple 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 essential role in lowering automobile emissions.

The invention adopted a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that somebody was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial area near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We were very surprised on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face extra costs.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of 1000's of car and truck owners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're confronted with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is tough to solve even when they find the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters usually are not imprinted on the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they are chopped open for the dear metals they include.

Replacing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance business group that works to combat insurance coverage fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for each converter.

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

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. Based on the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched 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 crime and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that buy reputable used gadgets. They must mark the item with the donor car's serial number and retain it for at least every week in unique condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 positive for the primary offense, a $2,000 positive for a second and no less than double that for each extra time they're caught. These possessing or trying to sell 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 Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new gadgets, offer grants for applications to stamp numbers on current vehicles and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a critical step in serving to bring aid to people straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically doesn't cowl a car proprietor's losses. Someone carrying just legal responsibility protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible that may be excessive sufficient that it isn't price submitting a declare.

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