Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft expenses Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the expensive auto elements that play a vital position in lowering vehicle emissions.

The invention adopted 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 at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 may face additional expenses.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of automotive and truck owners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're confronted with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to unravel even when they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters will not be imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they're chopped open for the precious metals they include.

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

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

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced this 12 months in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many situations a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that purchase reputable used units. They must mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for at the very least per week in unique condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fantastic for the primary offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and no less than double that for every further time they're caught. Those possessing or attempting to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new devices, supply grants for programs to stamp numbers on current automobiles and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance typically does not cowl a automobile proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply liability coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the complete invoice. Even with complete protection, there is a deductible which may be high enough that it's not price submitting a claim.

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