Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft charges Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto elements that play a critical role in decreasing vehicle emissions.

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

“We have been very shocked at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face extra charges.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of car and truck homeowners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're confronted with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to resolve even if they discover the stolen elements.

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

Changing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage industry group that works to fight 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, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more 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 accordance with the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this 12 months 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 lots of cases a criminal offense and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that purchase authentic used gadgets. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for no less than a week in unique situation.

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

Federal laws can be in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new units, offer grants for programs to stamp numbers on current vehicles and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a vital step in serving to convey reduction to folks instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage typically does not cowl a car owner's losses. Someone carrying just liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete invoice. Even with complete protection, there is a deductible that could be excessive enough that it's not price filing a declare.

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