Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with a number of theft fees Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto elements that play a essential position in reducing car 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 were very stunned at the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face extra expenses.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automobile and truck house owners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are confronted with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to solve even when they discover the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters are not imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they are chopped open for the dear metals they comprise.

Replacing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, according to the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage trade 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 just 3,969 experiences of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last yr.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. Based on the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been launched this yr 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 instances a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that buy authentic used devices. They need to mark the item with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for at the very least every week in unique 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 no less than double that for every additional time they are caught. These possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new units, supply grants for programs to stamp numbers on current vehicles and trucks and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance often does not cowl a automotive proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible that may be high sufficient that it's not value filing a claim.

“Lastly, some victims even with protection may treat the issue as a mechanical problem and simply pay for it themselves and never notify their insurer,” insurance crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman said Friday.