Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft prices Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto parts that play a critical position in lowering car emissions.

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

“We had been very surprised on the amount 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 buying and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face additional costs.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automotive and truck owners within the pocketbook and frustrated police, who are faced with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even when they find the stolen components.

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.

Replacing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, according to 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 every converter.

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

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. Based on the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this yr 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 situations a crime and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that buy professional used units. They must mark the item with the donor car's serial number and retain it for no less than a week in authentic condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fantastic for the primary offense, a $2,000 nice for a second and at the very least double that for each additional time they are caught. These possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can also be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new gadgets, provide grants for packages to stamp numbers on current automobiles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a crucial step in serving to deliver aid to individuals instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage usually doesn't cover a car proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying just liability protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with comprehensive protection, there is a deductible which may be excessive sufficient that it isn't price filing a claim.

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