Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft prices Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a critical position in lowering car emissions.

The discovery followed a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that someone was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space close to Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport.

“We had been very surprised at the amount 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 charges.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automobile and truck owners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who are faced with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even when they find the stolen components.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted at the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they're chopped open for the valuable metals they comprise.

Changing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, according to the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage business 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 simply 3,969 studies of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final 12 months.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. Based on the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this 12 months in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many instances against the law and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that purchase professional used gadgets. They need to mark the item with the donor car's serial number and retain it for at least a week in unique situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 advantageous for the first offense, a $2,000 wonderful for a second and at least double that for each further time they are caught. Those possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

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

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

Insurance coverage typically does not cowl a car proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply liability coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with complete coverage, there's a deductible which may be high sufficient that it's not price filing a declare.

“Lastly, some victims even with protection could treat the issue as a mechanical situation and simply pay for it themselves and by no means notify their insurer,” insurance crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman stated Friday.