Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with a number of theft charges Friday after detectives found more 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 important role in decreasing car emissions.

The discovery followed 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 International Airport.

“We have been very stunned on the quantity 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 buying and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and will face further prices.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of thousands of car and truck owners in the pocketbook and frustrated police, who are confronted with a crime that takes simply minutes to commit and is difficult to unravel even if they find the stolen parts.

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

Replacing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the National Insurance coverage 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 coverage group counted simply 3,969 stories of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final 12 months.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing laws designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced 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 instances a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that buy legitimate used gadgets. They need to mark the merchandise with the donor automobile's serial number and retain it for not less than every week in unique condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 positive for the first offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and not less than double that for each additional time they are caught. These possessing or trying to sell a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities might face a six-month jail sentence.

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

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a critical step in serving to bring aid to people immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance usually doesn't cowl a car owner's losses. Somebody carrying simply legal responsibility coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the total bill. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible which may be high enough that it isn't value filing a declare.

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