Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft charges 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 expensive auto elements that play a critical role in decreasing car emissions.

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

“We had been very shocked on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned in a police video taken Thursday as officers have 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 additional charges.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of automobile and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're faced with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to unravel even if they discover the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted on the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they're chopped open for the valuable metals they include.

Replacing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, according to the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage business group that works to combat 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, more than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final 12 months.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced 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 adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that buy respectable used devices. They must mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for at least a week in original condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 effective for the first offense, a $2,000 tremendous for a second and at the very least double that for every further time they're caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can also be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new units, provide grants for programs to stamp numbers on current vehicles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a crucial step in serving to convey reduction to folks directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically does not cowl a automotive proprietor's losses. Someone carrying just legal responsibility protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there is a deductible that could be high sufficient that it's not price submitting a claim.

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