Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with multiple theft expenses Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto elements that play a important position in reducing automobile emissions.

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

“We had been very shocked at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 may face further costs.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automotive and truck house owners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who're confronted with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even when they discover the stolen parts.

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

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

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

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced this year 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 cases a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that buy reputable used units. They need to mark the item with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for not less than per week in original condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 superb for the first offense, a $2,000 effective for a second and at the least double that for each further time they are caught. These possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws is also within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new gadgets, offer grants for programs to stamp numbers on existing automobiles 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 helping deliver reduction to individuals straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance often doesn't cover a automotive owner's losses. Someone carrying simply liability protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there is a deductible which may be high sufficient that it isn't worth filing a claim.

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