Phoenix cops discover 1,200 catalytic converters as thefts soar

PHOENIX -- An Arizona man was facing a number of theft charges Friday after detectives found greater than 1,200 catalytic converters packed into a storage unit, a case that highlights a national surge in thefts of the expensive auto elements that play a vital position in reducing vehicle emissions.

The invention followed a months-long investigation that started with a January tip that someone was storing stolen catalytic converters in an industrial space close to Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport.

“We have been very stunned on the amount in there,” Phoenix police Det. Adam Popelier mentioned 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 extra fees.

The huge rise in catalytic converters thefts throughout the nation has hit tens of thousands of automotive and truck owners within the pocketbook and annoyed police, who are faced with a criminal offense that takes just minutes to commit and is difficult to solve even if they find the stolen components.

Catalytic converters are usually not imprinted at the factory with serial numbers and stolen converters end up on a black market the place they are chopped open for the precious metals they comprise.

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

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

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

That includes Arizona, the place Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed a invoice 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 official used gadgets. They have to mark the item with the donor vehicle's serial quantity and retain it for at the least every week in authentic situation.

Scrap dealers caught with unregistered or stolen converters face a $500 effective for the first offense, a $2,000 fine for a second and a minimum of double that for each extra time they're caught. These possessing or attempting to promote a used catalytic converter that don't meet new requirements could face a six-month jail sentence.

Federal laws can be within the works. Indiana Rep. Jim Baird is sponsoring a bill backed by the National Insurance Crime Bureau that would require serial numbers on new units, provide grants for packages to stamp numbers on present cars and vehicles and make it easier to prosecute thefts.

The insurance coverage group's President and CEO David Glawe referred to as it a critical step in serving to carry reduction to individuals directly impacted by the thefts.

Insurance coverage often doesn't cowl a car owner's losses. Somebody carrying just legal responsibility coverage or liability and collision is on the hook for the full invoice. Even with complete coverage, there's a deductible that may be excessive enough that it's not value filing a claim.

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