NEW ULM — A dozen charges including seven felonies, were filed in Brown County District Court Thursday against a 37-year-old Hutchinson man accused of stealing catalytic converters from vehicles in and around New Ulm last March.

Three first-degree damage to property charges, four felony theft charges, a misdemeanor fourth-degree damage to property and four misdemeanor motor vehicle tampering charges were filed against Ryan G. Luckhart, Hutchinson. A first appearance was set for 8:30 a.m., Sept. 7.

According to court documents, New Ulm Police responded to reports of attempted vehicle damage and stolen catalytic converters on March 9, 2021 from trucks parked on Valley Street South and other locations.

One of the shops reporting a stolen converter showed police surveillance of suspects shining a flashlight underneath a vehicle and placing items into a a suspect vehicle’s truck.

Police contacted Nicollet County deputies who shared information about a suspect vehicle, a 2006 silver Chrysler Sebring that matched the vehicle from a witness’s video surveillance.

On March 10, 2021, the Nicollet County Sheriff’s Office contacted New Ulm Police regarding two suspects apprehended in a Courtland area traffic stop, believed to be responsible for many area catalytic converter thefts.

In a subsequent March 10, 2021 traffic stop, law enforcement found about 17 grams of methamphetamine, about a dozen catalytic converters and two bags of burglary tools including saws, flashlights, masks, and gloves.

In a March 11, 2021 interview, Luckhart and another man admitted to stealing three catalytic converters near the New Ulm railroad tracks.

Reviewing evidence obtained by Nicollet County authorities, New Ulm Police identified some of the stolen catalytic converters.

Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.