Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with multiple theft expenses Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto elements that play a critical position in lowering vehicle emissions.

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

“We were very shocked at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 may face further expenses.

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

Catalytic converters should 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 dear metals they comprise.

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

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

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of cases against the law and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that buy reliable used gadgets. They must mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for no less than per week in original condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high-quality for the primary offense, a $2,000 advantageous for a second and at least double that for each further time they're caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new units, offer grants for applications to stamp numbers on current vehicles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance often doesn't cover a automotive proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply liability protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with complete coverage, there is a deductible that may be high enough that it is not worth filing a declare.

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