Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft charges Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto parts that play a critical position in reducing car emissions.

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

“We were very surprised at the quantity 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 shopping for and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face extra costs.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of automobile and truck homeowners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are faced with a criminal offense that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to unravel even if they discover the stolen components.

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

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

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

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In accordance with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this year in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many situations a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that purchase professional used gadgets. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for at the very least every week in original condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 nice for the first offense, a $2,000 superb for a second and at the least double that for each additional time they're caught. Those possessing or trying to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can also be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new units, supply grants for packages to stamp numbers on existing automobiles and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a essential step in serving to deliver relief to individuals straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance usually does not cover a automobile owner's losses. Someone carrying simply legal responsibility protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible which may be high enough that it isn't worth filing a declare.

“Lastly, some victims even with protection might treat the problem as a mechanical subject and just pay for it themselves and by no means notify their insurer,” insurance coverage crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman said Friday.