Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with 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 nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto components that play a vital role in lowering automobile emissions.

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

“We were very shocked 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 should face additional expenses.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck house owners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are confronted with against the law that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to solve even if they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted on the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they are chopped open for the dear metals they contain.

Changing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage 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 group counted simply 3,969 reviews of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 final year.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In keeping with the National Insurance coverage 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 invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many cases a crime and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that buy official used gadgets. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for at least a week in authentic condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 nice for the primary offense, a $2,000 positive for a second and a minimum of double that for each further time they're caught. These possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws is also in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new devices, provide grants for programs to stamp numbers on existing automobiles and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a essential step in helping convey aid to folks directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance usually doesn't cover a car owner's losses. Someone carrying simply legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible that could be excessive enough that it is not price submitting a declare.

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