Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft fees Friday after detectives found greater 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 position in lowering vehicle emissions.

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

“We have been very surprised on the amount 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 selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face further prices.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck owners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are confronted with a criminal offense that takes just minutes to commit and is tough to solve even if they discover the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters will not be imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they are chopped open for the dear metals they comprise.

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

The insurance group counted simply 3,969 experiences of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last yr.

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

That features Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of instances a crime and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that purchase legit used devices. They must mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for at the very least per week in authentic condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 advantageous for the primary offense, a $2,000 superb for a second and no less than double that for each additional time they are caught. These possessing or making an attempt to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities 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 Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new units, provide grants for packages to stamp numbers on present 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 helping deliver aid to individuals instantly impacted by the thefts.

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

“Lastly, some victims even with coverage may deal with the problem 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.