Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through a number of theft charges Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto parts that play a critical function in decreasing automobile emissions.

The invention adopted a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that somebody was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space close to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We have been very shocked on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face additional charges.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of thousands of automotive and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and annoyed 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 components.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they're chopped open for the dear metals they comprise.

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

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

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of cases a crime and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that buy legitimate used devices. They must mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for at the least every week in unique condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 nice for the first offense, a $2,000 nice for a second and at least double that for each extra time they are caught. These possessing or attempting to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities could 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 National Insurance Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new gadgets, offer grants for applications to stamp numbers on present vehicles and vehicles and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a critical step in serving to convey relief to folks straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically doesn't cover a automotive proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with comprehensive protection, there is a deductible which may be high sufficient that it is not value submitting a declare.

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