Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft prices Friday after detectives found more than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a nationwide surge in thefts of the expensive auto elements that play a critical function in lowering vehicle emissions.

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

“We had been very stunned on 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 shopping for and selling the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and should face additional expenses.

The large rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of thousands of automobile and truck homeowners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who're confronted with a crime that takes just minutes to commit and is tough to resolve even when they find the stolen elements.

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

Changing one can price a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance business 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 just 3,969 studies of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final yr.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing laws designed to make it more durable for criminals to unload their loot. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many instances a criminal offense and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap sellers that purchase reliable used devices. They have to mark the item with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for at the very least per week in unique situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 wonderful for the first offense, a $2,000 fantastic for a second and at the least double that for every extra time they're caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new necessities might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can also be in 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 units, provide grants for programs to stamp numbers on current cars and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a important step in serving to convey reduction to people instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance usually doesn't cover a automotive proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the complete bill. Even with comprehensive coverage, there's a deductible that could be excessive sufficient that it isn't worth submitting a declare.

“Lastly, some victims even with protection may deal with the problem as a mechanical situation and simply pay for it themselves and never notify their insurer,” insurance crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman mentioned Friday.