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 national surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a crucial function in reducing car emissions.

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

“We have been very stunned at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face extra fees.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automotive and truck homeowners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are confronted with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to solve even when they discover the stolen parts.

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

Replacing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the National 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 every converter.

The insurance group counted just 3,969 stories 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 discover, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced this year in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of cases a crime and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that purchase legitimate used gadgets. They must mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for a minimum of every week in unique condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 advantageous for the primary offense, a $2,000 advantageous for a second and a minimum of double that for every further time they are caught. These possessing or trying to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws is also within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new devices, provide grants for programs to stamp numbers on current vehicles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a critical step in serving to convey reduction to folks instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically doesn't cowl a car owner's losses. Somebody carrying simply legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with complete protection, there is a deductible that may be high enough that it is not worth submitting a declare.

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