Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with a number of theft prices Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed 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 followed a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that someone was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space close to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We were very surprised at the amount 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 buying and promoting 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 automotive and truck house owners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are faced with against the law that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to solve even if they find the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters should not imprinted on the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they are chopped open for the precious metals they contain.

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

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

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. According to the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this year in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many cases a crime and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that buy respectable used units. They must mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for a minimum of every week in original condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high-quality for the first offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and a minimum of double that for every further time they are caught. Those possessing or attempting to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements 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 National Insurance Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new units, supply grants for packages to stamp numbers on existing vehicles and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance coverage typically does not cover a automotive proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the complete invoice. Even with complete protection, there is a deductible that could be high enough that it isn't value filing a declare.

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