Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple 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 expensive auto parts that play a critical role in lowering car emissions.

The discovery 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 stunned at 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 selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face extra prices.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of car and truck owners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who're faced with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to solve even when they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters are not imprinted on the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they are chopped open for the precious metals they comprise.

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

The insurance group counted just 3,969 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 last 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 coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched 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 many cases against the law and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that purchase official used units. They must mark the item with the donor car's serial number and retain it for no less than a week in authentic situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high-quality for the first offense, a $2,000 high quality for a second and at the least double that for every further time they are caught. These possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can be within 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, provide grants for packages to stamp numbers on existing automobiles and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a crucial step in serving to deliver relief to folks instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance usually doesn't cowl a car proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the complete invoice. Even with complete protection, there is a deductible that could be high enough that it's not price submitting a declare.

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