Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft fees Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed right into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the pricy auto components that play a critical role in lowering car emissions.

The discovery 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 Worldwide Airport.

“We have been very shocked at the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 shopping for and promoting the convertors was charged with 40 counts of theft and may face additional expenses.

The massive 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're faced with a criminal offense that takes simply minutes to commit and is tough to resolve even if they discover the stolen components.

Catalytic converters aren't imprinted at the manufacturing unit with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they're chopped open for the valuable metals they contain.

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

The insurance group counted just 3,969 stories of stolen catalytic converters in 2019, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 last 12 months.

Lawmakers throughout the nation have taken notice, introducing legislation designed to make it harder for criminals to unload their loot. In response to the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 payments have been launched this year 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 lots of situations a crime and provides detailed reporting necessities for scrap dealers that purchase legit used units. They have to mark the merchandise with the donor car's serial quantity and retain it for not less than a week in unique condition.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 effective for the first offense, a $2,000 effective for a second and a minimum of double that for every extra time they are caught. Those possessing or making an attempt to sell a used catalytic converter that do not meet new necessities might face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws is also within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a invoice backed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau that might require serial numbers on new gadgets, offer grants for applications to stamp numbers on current vehicles and vehicles and make it simpler to prosecute thefts.

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

Insurance often does not cowl a automobile proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying just liability coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with complete coverage, there's a deductible that may be high enough that it isn't worth filing a declare.

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