Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with multiple theft expenses Friday after detectives discovered more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto elements that play a crucial position in decreasing car emissions.

The discovery adopted a months-long investigation that began with a January tip that somebody was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial area near Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport.

“We had been very surprised at 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 shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face extra charges.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of car and truck house owners within the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are faced with against the law that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to unravel even when they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters are not imprinted at the manufacturing facility with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they are chopped open for the valuable metals they contain.

Replacing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance business 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 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last yr.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. According to the National 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 bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many instances against the law and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap sellers that buy authentic used units. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for no less than per week in authentic situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 advantageous for the primary offense, a $2,000 advantageous for a second and a minimum of double that for every extra 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 legislation can also be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau that may require serial numbers on new gadgets, provide grants for applications to stamp numbers on current cars and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a essential step in helping convey relief to folks immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance typically does not cover a automotive owner's losses. Someone carrying just legal responsibility protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the total invoice. Even with comprehensive protection, there is a deductible that may be high sufficient that it is not value submitting a declare.

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