MARYSVILLE — On the street, he’s known as “the saw guy.”
Now detectives with a north Snohomish County property crimes unit are investigating whether the Marysville-area businessman was running what amounted to a chop shop for stolen chain saws.
With a court-approved search warrant in hand, they paid an unannounced visit to the home-based online business last week. The man has not been arrested or charged.
The investigation is continuing and the business owner has been cooperative, said sheriff’s detective Glenn DeWitt, a member of the north county property crimes unit.
Detectives recovered seven items, including a boat motor and chain saws, that had been reported stolen in Snohomish and Skagit counties. They also are sorting through the serial numbers of roughly 200 other pieces of equipment found on the property.
The business, which sells chain saws and parts over the Internet, reportedly made $166,000 in 2013.
It came under scrutiny in recent months during other burglary and theft investigations. One woman told detectives that a lot of drug users take their stolen loot to the “saw guy.”
In early January, a Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputy stopped a car near Marysville. A man ran off. Deputies found heroin, methamphetamine and a notebook titled the “Stihl book” in the car. Stihl is a brand of chain saw. The book included a ledger listing makes and models of different chain saws, weed eaters, leaf blowers and other equipment.
Among the items recovered last week was a blower that was stolen from a city of Marysville truck.
One burglary suspect reportedly trolled neighborhoods looking for homes where wood had recently been cut. That was a sign that the owners might have chain saws. Detectives believe the thief hit cars, barns, sheds and open garages.
In one instance near Cathcart, the alleged burglar entered a garage and stole several guns from an open safe. A sheriff’s vehicle was parked in the driveway next door.
Detectives believe the business owner and a co-worker would break apart many of the chain saws brought to them and sell the parts.
“This is similar to cases I have investigated related to chop shops where suspects were taking apart cars to sell for parts,” DeWitt wrote.
Law officers are looking for a man and a woman suspected in multiple burglaries and thefts related to the chain saw case.
The investigation involving the business owner also will be forwarded to prosecutors to decide on whether charges should be filed. Potential charges could include trafficking in stolen property.
DeWitt said there were concerns that the man was not following sales and transaction rules for second-hand businesses. Those include gathering identification from people offering merchandise and logging serial numbers.
The detective urged homeowners to keep track of serial numbers for items that could be attractive to thieves.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446; stevick@heraldnet.com.
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