Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft fees 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 critical role in lowering vehicle emissions.

The discovery followed 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 had been very stunned on 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 selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face further prices.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automobile and truck house owners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're confronted with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to solve even if they find the stolen elements.

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

Replacing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance trade group that works to combat insurance fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for every converter.

The insurance group counted just 3,969 experiences 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 tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In keeping with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills 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 many instances a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that buy professional used gadgets. They have to mark the item with the donor car's serial quantity and retain it for not less than every week in unique condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 wonderful for the primary offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and at the least double that for each additional time they are caught. These possessing or attempting to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new gadgets, provide grants for packages to stamp numbers on present vehicles and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance usually doesn't cowl a automobile owner's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible that may be excessive sufficient that it is not value filing a claim.

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