Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with a number of theft prices Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto elements that play a vital position in lowering vehicle emissions.

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

“We were very stunned at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face further prices.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck owners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're confronted with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to solve even when they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters usually are not imprinted on the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they're chopped open for the precious metals they comprise.

Changing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the National Insurance coverage 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 simply 3,969 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last 12 months.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In keeping with the National Insurance coverage 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 invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many cases a crime and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that buy legitimate used units. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for at least per week in original situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 tremendous for the first offense, a $2,000 tremendous for a second and not less than double that for each further time they are caught. Those possessing or attempting to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws is also 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 packages to stamp numbers on current cars and vehicles and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a essential step in serving to deliver reduction to people immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance usually doesn't cowl a automobile proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there is a deductible which may be excessive enough that it is not price filing a declare.

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