Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft charges 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 pricy auto elements that play a essential function in lowering automobile emissions.

The discovery adopted a months-long investigation that began with a January tip that somebody was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We were very surprised on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face additional costs.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automobile and truck house owners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are confronted with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to unravel even when they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters will not be imprinted on the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they're chopped open for the precious metals they include.

Changing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in keeping with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage trade group that works to combat insurance fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for each converter.

The insurance coverage group counted just 3,969 studies of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final year.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken discover, introducing laws designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many situations a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that buy reliable used units. They must mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for no less than every week in unique condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fine for the first offense, a $2,000 high quality for a second and at least double that for every extra time they're caught. These possessing or trying to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new gadgets, supply grants for applications to stamp numbers on present cars and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a critical step in serving to bring relief to people directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance often does not cowl a automobile owner's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive protection, there is a deductible that could be high enough that it's not price submitting a declare.

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