Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft expenses 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 pricy auto elements that play a crucial role in reducing car 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 near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We had been very shocked at the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 extra costs.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of car and truck owners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're confronted with a criminal offense that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to solve even when they find the stolen components.

Catalytic converters will not be imprinted on the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market the place they are chopped open for the dear metals they comprise.

Replacing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage business group that works to combat insurance coverage 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, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last year.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. Based on 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 situations a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that buy reputable used devices. They must mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial number and retain it for not less than every week in authentic condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 tremendous for the primary offense, a $2,000 positive for a second and no less than double that for every further time they're caught. Those possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can also be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new devices, supply grants for applications to stamp numbers on current vehicles and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a essential step in helping carry aid to people straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage typically does not cover a car proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible that may be high sufficient that it's not price submitting a claim.

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