Phoenix cops find 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was going through multiple theft expenses 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 pricy auto parts that play a essential function in lowering automobile emissions.

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

“We have been very stunned on the quantity in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier stated 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 will face further fees.

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

Catalytic converters aren't imprinted on the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market where they are chopped open for the dear metals they include.

Changing one can value a motorist from $1,000 to $3,000, based on the Nationwide Insurance Crime Bureau, an insurance coverage business group that works to fight insurance coverage 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, greater than 17,000 in 2020 and greater than 52,000 final 12 months.

Lawmakers across the nation have taken discover, introducing legislation designed to make it tougher for criminals to unload their loot. In line with the National Insurance coverage Crime Bureau, 150 bills have been introduced this year in 36 states and enacted in 16 states.

That features 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 necessities for scrap dealers that purchase professional used gadgets. They must mark the item with the donor automobile's serial quantity and retain it for a minimum of every week in original situation.

Scrap sellers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 wonderful for the primary offense, a $2,000 high-quality for a second and at the very least double that for each additional time they're caught. Those possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that do not meet new requirements might 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 coverage Crime Bureau that will require serial numbers on new units, supply grants for applications to stamp numbers on present vehicles and trucks and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe called it a vital step in helping convey relief to people instantly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance usually does not cover a car proprietor's losses. Somebody carrying simply liability coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the full bill. Even with comprehensive protection, there's a deductible that may be high sufficient that it is not value submitting a claim.

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