Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft expenses 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 parts that play a essential role in decreasing vehicle emissions.

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

“We had been very surprised at the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 prices.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are confronted with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to unravel even when they discover the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters usually are not imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they are chopped open for the precious metals they comprise.

Changing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in response to the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage trade group that works to combat insurance coverage fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for each converter.

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

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments 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 cases against the law and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that buy reliable used gadgets. They must mark the item with the donor car's serial number and retain it for at the least per week in authentic condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 superb for the primary offense, a $2,000 nice for a second and a minimum of double that for each further time they are 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 laws is also in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new devices, provide grants for applications to stamp numbers on existing cars and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a vital step in serving to convey aid to folks immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically does not cover a car proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible that could be high sufficient that it isn't value filing a claim.

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