Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft expenses Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a vital position 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 International Airport.

“We were very surprised on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned in a police video taken Thursday as officers have 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 additional expenses.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of car and truck house owners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're confronted with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to solve even if they find the stolen parts.

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

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

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

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many situations a crime and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that purchase legit used units. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for at the least a week in original 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 not less than double that for every additional time they are caught. These possessing or attempting to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can also be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new gadgets, offer grants for packages to stamp numbers on current vehicles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a vital step in helping convey aid to people directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage typically doesn't cowl a automotive owner's losses. Someone carrying simply liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete invoice. Even with complete protection, there is a deductible that may be excessive enough that it is not worth submitting a claim.

“Lastly, some victims even with coverage could deal with the problem as a mechanical difficulty and just pay for it themselves and by no means notify their insurer,” insurance crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman stated Friday.