Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft costs Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto elements that play a crucial position in reducing car emissions.

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

“We were very stunned on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned in a police video taken Thursday as officers were 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 should face additional fees.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automotive and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're confronted with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to unravel even if they find the stolen components.

Catalytic converters aren't imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they're chopped open for the valuable metals they comprise.

Changing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance industry 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 studies of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final 12 months.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken discover, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In keeping with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this 12 months in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many situations a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that purchase official used gadgets. They have to mark the item with the donor car's serial number and retain it for not less than per week in authentic condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 advantageous for the primary offense, a $2,000 high quality for a second and at least double that for each additional time they're caught. These possessing or attempting to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws is also within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new devices, provide grants for programs to stamp numbers on current vehicles and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a crucial step in serving to bring reduction to people directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often doesn't cover a car proprietor's losses. Someone carrying just legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with complete coverage, there is a deductible which may be high enough that it's not worth submitting a declare.

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