Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing multiple theft fees Friday after detectives discovered greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the pricy auto parts that play a essential position in lowering car emissions.

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

“We were very surprised at the amount 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 promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face further fees.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of hundreds of car and truck house owners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are faced with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even if they discover the stolen parts.

Catalytic converters usually are not imprinted on the manufacturing unit 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 cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the Nationwide 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 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 12 months.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. According to the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced this 12 months in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice 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 buy official used devices. They have to mark the item with the donor car's serial number and retain it for at the least per week in authentic condition.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 fantastic for the primary offense, a $2,000 advantageous for a second and at least double that for every extra time they're caught. Those possessing or attempting to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements may face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal legislation can be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new devices, supply grants for programs to stamp numbers on existing cars and vans and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe known as it a vital step in serving to deliver aid to folks directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often doesn't cover a automotive proprietor's losses. Someone carrying just legal responsibility protection or liability and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with complete protection, there's a deductible that may be high sufficient that it is not value filing a declare.

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