Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft charges 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 expensive auto parts that play a crucial role in reducing automobile emissions.

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

“We have been very stunned on the quantity 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 shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face extra fees.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck homeowners in the pocketbook and frustrated police, who are faced with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to resolve even if they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters usually are not imprinted on the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they're chopped open for the valuable metals they contain.

Replacing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in accordance with the National 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 every converter.

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

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In accordance with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this yr 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 sellers that purchase respectable used devices. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for at least a week in unique situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 advantageous for the first offense, a $2,000 high quality for a second and at the least double that for each further time they are caught. Those possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities might 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 would require serial numbers on new gadgets, provide grants for programs to stamp numbers on existing automobiles and trucks and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a crucial step in helping convey aid to people straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance usually does not cowl a automotive owner's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with complete coverage, there's a deductible that could be high sufficient that it's not value submitting a claim.

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