Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was dealing with multiple theft costs Friday after detectives discovered more 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 important function in reducing automobile emissions.

The discovery followed 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 have been very shocked on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier said 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 promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face additional prices.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automobile and truck homeowners in the pocketbook and frustrated police, who're faced with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to resolve even if they find the stolen components.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted at the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they're chopped open for the valuable metals they comprise.

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

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

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this yr 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 cases a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that purchase reliable used gadgets. They have to mark the item with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for a minimum of a week in original situation.

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

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

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a essential step in serving to carry relief to people immediately impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage typically doesn't cover a automotive proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with complete coverage, there's a deductible that could be high enough that it is not worth filing a declare.

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