Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through a number of theft costs Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto elements that play a critical position in decreasing automobile emissions.

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

“We have been very stunned on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face additional costs.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck house owners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're faced with against the law that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to solve even when they find the stolen components.

Catalytic converters aren't imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they're chopped open for the valuable metals they contain.

Replacing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the National 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 just 3,969 stories of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final 12 months.

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

That includes Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of cases against the law and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that purchase reputable used gadgets. They have to mark the item with the donor car's serial quantity and retain it for at the least every week in authentic condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 tremendous for the primary offense, a $2,000 fine for a second and not less than double that for every further time they're caught. Those possessing or trying to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements might 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 Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new units, supply grants for applications to stamp numbers on existing cars and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a crucial step in serving to carry reduction to people directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage typically doesn't cowl a car proprietor's losses. Someone 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 that could be high enough that it is not worth submitting a claim.

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