Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through a number of theft prices Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the expensive auto components that play a crucial position 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 near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We were very shocked on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face extra charges.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck owners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're confronted with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to unravel even if they discover the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters usually are not imprinted at the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market the place they are chopped open for the valuable metals they comprise.

Changing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line 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 every converter.

The insurance group counted just 3,969 stories of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 final yr.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In keeping with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this 12 months in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of situations against the law and adds detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that purchase reliable used devices. They need to mark the item with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for a minimum of per week in original condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 high-quality for the primary offense, a $2,000 high quality for a second and no less than double that for each additional time they're caught. These possessing or trying to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements might face a six-month jail sentence.

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

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a important step in serving to convey aid to people directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically doesn't cowl a automobile owner's losses. Somebody carrying simply legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible that may be excessive enough that it's not value submitting a declare.

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