Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through a number of theft expenses Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto components that play a critical role in lowering car 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 near Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport.

“We had been very shocked at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 shopping for and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face extra prices.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automotive and truck homeowners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are faced with against the law that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to solve even if they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters will not be imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they're chopped open for the dear metals they contain.

Replacing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the Nationwide 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 each converter.

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

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments 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 many cases against the law and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that buy legit used units. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor car's serial quantity and retain it for a minimum of per week in authentic situation.

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

Federal laws is also 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 devices, supply grants for packages to stamp numbers on existing vehicles and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a essential step in helping convey reduction to individuals instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically doesn't cowl a automotive owner's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with comprehensive coverage, there is a deductible that may be excessive sufficient that it is not worth filing a declare.

“Lastly, some victims even with protection could deal with the issue as a mechanical subject and just pay for it themselves and never notify their insurer,” insurance crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman mentioned Friday.