Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with a number of theft costs Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the expensive auto parts that play a vital position in decreasing vehicle emissions.

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

“We were very stunned at the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 will face additional expenses.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of automotive and truck house owners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're confronted with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even if they discover the stolen components.

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

Changing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage industry group that works to combat insurance coverage fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for every converter.

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

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken discover, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In accordance with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this year 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 lots of cases a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that purchase legit used units. They need to mark the item with the donor car's serial number and retain it for at least every week in authentic situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fine for the primary offense, a $2,000 positive for a second and at least double that for each further time they are caught. These possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new gadgets, offer grants for packages to stamp numbers on current automobiles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a essential step in serving to carry relief to individuals straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often doesn't cover a car proprietor's losses. Someone carrying just legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with comprehensive protection, there is a deductible which may be high sufficient that it is not worth filing a declare.

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