Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through a number of theft charges Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto elements that play a critical role in lowering vehicle emissions.

The invention adopted a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that somebody was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial area close to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We had been very shocked on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated in a police video taken Thursday as officers were pulling converters from the jam-packed storage locker.

The 48-year-old man who police say was buying and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face extra expenses.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automotive and truck house owners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are faced with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to resolve even if they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters aren't imprinted on the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they are chopped open for the valuable metals they contain.

Changing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in accordance with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance trade 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 simply 3,969 experiences of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final yr.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In accordance with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this yr 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 situations a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that buy legitimate used gadgets. They must mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for not less than every week in authentic condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 nice for the first offense, a $2,000 nice for a second and no less than double that for each additional time they're caught. These possessing or attempting to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new units, offer grants for programs to stamp numbers on existing cars and vans and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance usually doesn't cover a car owner's losses. Someone carrying simply legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible that could be excessive sufficient that it is not price filing a declare.

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