Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft fees Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the expensive auto elements that play a important role in decreasing car emissions.

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

“We had been very stunned at the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face extra charges.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of automobile and truck owners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are confronted with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to resolve even when they find the stolen components.

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

Replacing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance industry group that works to fight 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, more than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final 12 months.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this year 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 requirements for scrap sellers that buy authentic used devices. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor car's serial quantity and retain it for a minimum of every week in authentic situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fantastic for the primary offense, a $2,000 positive for a second and at the very least double that for every extra time they're caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new units, provide grants for packages to stamp numbers on existing cars and vehicles and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a important step in helping bring aid to people immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often doesn't cowl a automobile proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible that may be high sufficient that it is not price submitting a declare.

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