Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft fees Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto components that play a critical function in reducing car emissions.

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

“We have been very surprised on 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 buying and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face extra fees.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck house owners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're faced with against the law that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to resolve even when they find the stolen components.

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

Replacing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance trade group that works to fight insurance fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for every converter.

The insurance coverage group counted simply 3,969 studies 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 tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In line with 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 professional used gadgets. They must mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for not less than a week in authentic situation.

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

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

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

Insurance coverage usually doesn't cover a car owner's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible which may be high sufficient that it isn't worth submitting a declare.

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