Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft prices Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto elements that play a essential position in lowering car emissions.

The discovery followed a months-long investigation that began with a January tip that someone was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We had been very stunned at the amount 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 buying and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face additional prices.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of automobile and truck house owners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are faced with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to solve even if they find the stolen parts.

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

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

The insurance coverage group counted simply 3,969 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 final 12 months.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. Based on the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this yr 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 lots of cases a crime and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that buy authentic used gadgets. They must mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for at the least a week in unique situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 tremendous for the primary offense, a $2,000 high quality for a second and no less than double that for every additional time they're caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation is also within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new devices, supply grants for packages to stamp numbers on current cars and trucks and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a vital step in helping deliver reduction to people directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance usually does not cover a car owner's losses. Someone carrying simply liability protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete invoice. Even with complete coverage, there is a deductible that may be high enough that it isn't worth filing a declare.

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