Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through a number of theft fees Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a crucial role in reducing car emissions.

The invention followed a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that somebody was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space close to Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport.

“We have been very stunned on 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 further expenses.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automotive and truck house owners in the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're confronted with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to unravel even if they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters should not imprinted on the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they're chopped open for the dear metals they include.

Replacing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in keeping with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance industry 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 simply 3,969 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final yr.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced 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 provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that buy respectable used units. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor car's serial number and retain it for a minimum of per week in unique situation.

Scrap sellers 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. These possessing or attempting to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation is also 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 devices, provide grants for applications to stamp numbers on existing automobiles and vehicles and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a crucial step in helping bring aid to individuals directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage usually doesn't cowl a car owner's losses. Someone carrying simply liability protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive protection, there is a deductible which may be excessive sufficient that it is not value submitting a declare.

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