Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft fees 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 parts that play a vital function in lowering car emissions.

The invention adopted a months-long investigation that began 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 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 buying and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face further fees.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of car and truck homeowners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are faced with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to unravel even when they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters aren't imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market the place they are chopped open for the valuable metals they include.

Replacing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance industry group that works to combat insurance fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for every converter.

The insurance group counted just 3,969 stories of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last year.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. According to the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced this year in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many instances a crime and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that buy reputable used devices. They have to mark the item with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for at least a week in unique condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high quality for the first offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and no less than double that for every extra time they're caught. Those possessing or trying to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities might 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 Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new gadgets, offer grants for packages to stamp numbers on present automobiles and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance usually doesn't cowl a car proprietor's losses. Someone carrying just liability coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with complete coverage, there's a deductible which may be excessive sufficient that it is not value submitting a claim.

“Lastly, some victims even with coverage could treat the issue as a mechanical challenge and simply pay for it themselves and never notify their insurer,” insurance coverage crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman stated Friday.