Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft costs Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right 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 vehicle emissions.

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

“We had been very shocked on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated in a police video taken Thursday as officers had been pulling converters from the jam-packed storage locker.

The 48-year-old man who police say was shopping for and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face extra prices.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of car and truck owners in the pocketbook and annoyed police, who're faced with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to resolve even when they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters should not imprinted on the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they are chopped open for the precious metals they contain.

Replacing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in keeping with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance business group that works to fight 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 more than 52,000 final year.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this yr 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 cases a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that purchase respectable used gadgets. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for at the least per week in original situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 positive for the first offense, a $2,000 tremendous for a second and at the very least double that for every additional time they are caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

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

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

Insurance typically does not cowl a car proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible which may be high enough that it is not worth filing a declare.

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