Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through a number of theft charges 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 parts that play a vital position in lowering vehicle emissions.

The invention adopted a months-long investigation that began with a January tip that somebody was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

“We had been very stunned at the quantity 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 may face additional charges.

The massive rise in catalytic converters thefts across the nation has hit tens of 1000's of automobile and truck house owners in the pocketbook and pissed off police, who are confronted with against the law that takes just minutes to commit and is troublesome to solve even when they discover the stolen elements.

Catalytic converters are not imprinted at 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 contain.

Replacing one can cost a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, in accordance with the Nationwide Insurance 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 coverage group counted just 3,969 reports of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, more than 17,000 in 2020 and more than 52,000 final 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 Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been introduced this yr in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features Arizona, where Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a bill this month that makes possession of a catalytic converter in many situations against the law and provides detailed reporting requirements for scrap dealers that buy reliable used units. They must mark the merchandise with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for a minimum of a week in authentic situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 wonderful for the first offense, a $2,000 fine for a second and no less than double that for every extra time they're caught. These possessing or making an attempt to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements may face a six-month jail sentence.

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

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a crucial step in helping deliver reduction to individuals instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often doesn't cover a automotive owner's losses. Somebody carrying just liability coverage or legal responsibility and collision is on the hook for the complete invoice. Even with complete protection, there is a deductible that could be high enough that it isn't worth submitting a declare.

“Lastly, some victims even with protection could deal with the issue as a mechanical challenge and just pay for it themselves and never notify their insurer,” insurance coverage crime bureau spokesperson Tully Lehman stated Friday.