Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with a number of theft expenses Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto components that play a essential function in reducing vehicle emissions.

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

“We have been very stunned at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face additional expenses.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck house owners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're faced with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to resolve even when they find the stolen components.

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

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

The insurance coverage group counted just 3,969 stories of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final 12 months.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. Based on the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many cases a crime and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that buy reputable used gadgets. They have to mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for at the very least a week in original situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 wonderful for the primary offense, a $2,000 fine for a second and not less than double that for each additional time they are caught. Those possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation 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, supply grants for packages to stamp numbers on existing cars and trucks and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance typically does not cover a automobile owner's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with complete coverage, there is a deductible which may be excessive enough that it's not value submitting a declare.

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