Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through a number of theft costs Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a crucial role in lowering vehicle emissions.

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

“We were very surprised on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 should face further charges.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automobile and truck owners in the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're confronted with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to unravel even when they discover the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters usually are not imprinted at the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they're chopped open for the valuable metals they include.

Replacing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage industry 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 simply 3,969 stories of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final 12 months.

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

That features Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many instances a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that purchase legitimate used units. They need to mark the item with the donor car's serial number and retain it for at the least a week in original condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fantastic for the primary offense, a $2,000 tremendous for a second and at least double that for each additional time they are caught. These possessing or making an attempt to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can also be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new units, provide 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 essential step in serving to carry reduction to people straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often does not cowl a automotive owner's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible that could be high enough that it isn't price filing a declare.

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