Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft costs 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 components that play a important position in decreasing car emissions.

The invention adopted 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 have been very stunned at the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 shopping for 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 frustrated police, who are confronted with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even if they find the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted on the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters find yourself on a black market where they're chopped open for the precious metals they include.

Changing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in line with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage trade group that works to combat insurance coverage fraud and crime. Police say thieves can get from $100 to $150 for each converter.

The insurance group counted simply 3,969 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 last yr.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this year in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in lots of cases against the law and adds detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that buy legit used devices. They must mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for not less than a week in authentic situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 positive for the primary offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and no less than double that for every further time they're caught. These possessing or making an attempt to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws is also in the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the Nationwide Insurance coverage Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new devices, offer grants for applications to stamp numbers on current cars and vans and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a vital step in helping bring relief to individuals straight impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage typically doesn't cowl a car proprietor's losses. Someone carrying simply liability protection or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible which may be excessive sufficient that it isn't price filing a claim.

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