Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft prices Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto parts that play a vital function in decreasing automobile 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 close to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We had been very surprised on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 should face extra prices.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automotive and truck homeowners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're faced with against the law that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to solve even when they discover the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters will not be imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market the place they're chopped open for the dear metals they comprise.

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 just 3,969 studies of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 last yr.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing laws designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In keeping with the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this year in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of instances a crime and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that buy legit used devices. They have to mark the item with the donor car's serial quantity and retain it for not less than a week in original situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 positive for the primary offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and at least double that for every further time they are caught. Those possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can also be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new gadgets, supply grants for programs to stamp numbers on present cars and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a important step in serving to bring aid to folks instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often does not cover a automotive proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there is a deductible which may be high sufficient that it isn't price submitting a declare.

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