Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft prices 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 vital function in lowering vehicle emissions.

The discovery adopted 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 had been very stunned on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face extra costs.

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

Catalytic converters should not imprinted at the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they're chopped open for the dear metals they comprise.

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

The insurance group counted just 3,969 studies 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 discover, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this 12 months 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 many instances a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that buy reputable used units. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for a minimum of a week in authentic situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fantastic for the first offense, a $2,000 superb for a second and a minimum of double that for every additional time they're caught. These possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that do not 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 will require serial numbers on new units, supply grants for programs to stamp numbers on present vehicles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a critical step in serving to carry reduction to individuals directly impacted by the thefts.

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

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