Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with multiple 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 parts that play a crucial position 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 stunned on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 buying and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face extra fees.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck homeowners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who're confronted with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to solve even if they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters are not imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they're chopped open for the dear metals they contain.

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

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

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In accordance with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced 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 many situations a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that buy reputable used devices. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor car's serial number and retain it for no less than per week in original situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 wonderful for the primary offense, a $2,000 positive for a second and no less than double that for every further 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 be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new units, provide grants for applications to stamp numbers on present cars and trucks and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a important step in serving to deliver reduction to folks immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically does not cover a automobile owner's losses. Somebody carrying just liability coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the complete invoice. Even with complete coverage, there's a deductible that could be excessive enough that it isn't value filing a declare.

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