Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft charges Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto parts that play a essential role in reducing 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 near Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport.

“We were very stunned at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned in a police video taken Thursday as officers had been 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 extra prices.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of thousands of car and truck owners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are faced with against the law that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even when they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters are not imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they are chopped open for the precious metals they comprise.

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

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

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this 12 months in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of situations a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that purchase respectable used units. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for no less than every week in authentic condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 positive for the primary offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and at least double that for every additional time they are caught. These possessing or making an attempt to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements might 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 devices, offer grants for packages to stamp numbers on present cars and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a critical step in serving to bring reduction to individuals immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage typically does not cover a car proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply liability protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible which may be excessive enough that it isn't value filing a claim.

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