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 discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the expensive auto parts that play a essential function in reducing 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 near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We had been very shocked at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face additional fees.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of thousands of automotive and truck house owners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're confronted with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to unravel even if they discover the stolen parts.

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

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

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

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In keeping with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced this 12 months 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 instances a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that buy reliable used gadgets. They need to mark the item with the donor car's serial quantity and retain it for at least a week in authentic situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 nice for the primary offense, a $2,000 advantageous for a second and at the least double that for each further 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 is also within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new units, provide grants for packages to stamp numbers on existing automobiles and vehicles and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a essential step in serving to convey relief to folks instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically does not cover a automotive proprietor's losses. Someone carrying just legal responsibility protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with complete coverage, there's a deductible that could be high sufficient that it is not worth filing a claim.

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