Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft prices 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 pricy auto elements that play a vital position in lowering automobile emissions.

The invention followed 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 International Airport.

“We had been very shocked on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face further costs.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automotive and truck owners in the pocketbook and frustrated police, who are confronted with against the law that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to solve even when they discover 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 are chopped open for the precious metals they contain.

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

The insurance group counted simply 3,969 stories of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 final year.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. Based on the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced 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 sellers that purchase respectable used devices. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for at the very least every week in unique condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high quality for the primary offense, a $2,000 advantageous for a second and no less than double that for every additional time they are caught. Those possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can also 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 applications to stamp numbers on existing vehicles and trucks and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a important step in helping carry aid to folks instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often does not cowl a automotive proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete invoice. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible that could be excessive sufficient that it's not price filing a claim.

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