Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with multiple 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 components that play a essential role in lowering car emissions.

The discovery followed a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that someone was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial area close to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We were very surprised on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 buying and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face further prices.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of automotive 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 troublesome to solve even if they find the stolen components.

Catalytic converters will not be imprinted at the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market the place they are chopped open for the valuable metals they comprise.

Replacing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance industry 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 more than 52,000 last 12 months.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, 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, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of cases against the law and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that purchase respectable used devices. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for a minimum of per week in original condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 positive for the first offense, a $2,000 effective for a second and at the very least double that for each extra time they are 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 legislation is also in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new units, offer grants for applications to stamp numbers on existing vehicles and vehicles and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a essential step in helping carry relief to folks instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance often doesn't cowl a automobile proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with complete protection, there is a deductible that could be high sufficient that it isn't price filing a declare.

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