Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft expenses Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a essential function in decreasing vehicle emissions.

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

“We were very stunned at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 buying and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face extra expenses.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck owners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who're faced with a criminal offense that takes just minutes to commit and is tough to solve even when they discover the stolen parts.

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

Changing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage business 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 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last year.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this year 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 cases a crime and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that purchase respectable used devices. They must mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for no less than a week in unique situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high quality for the primary offense, a $2,000 fine for a second and a minimum of double that for each further time they're caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can also be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that will 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 coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a crucial step in helping deliver relief to people straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often does not cover a automotive owner's losses. Someone carrying just legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete invoice. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible which may be excessive sufficient that it's not value submitting a claim.

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