Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft costs Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the expensive auto elements that play a important position in reducing vehicle emissions.

The invention followed 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 surprised on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 buying and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face additional prices.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of 1000's of car and truck owners in the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're faced with against the law that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to resolve even if they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters aren't imprinted at the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they're chopped open for the valuable metals they include.

Replacing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance business 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 simply 3,969 reviews of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last year.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In accordance with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched 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 against the law and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that buy authentic used units. They have to mark the item with the donor vehicle'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 high-quality for the first offense, a $2,000 superb for a second and no less than double that for each further time they're caught. Those possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws is also within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new units, supply grants for programs 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 critical step in helping carry relief to people immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically doesn't cowl a car proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply legal responsibility protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible which may be excessive sufficient that it isn't value filing a claim.

“Lastly, some victims even with coverage might deal with the issue as a mechanical difficulty and simply pay for it themselves and never notify their insurer,” insurance coverage crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman mentioned Friday.