Extortion charge follows $10,000 tree removal

Was intimidated into paying, woman, 86, says

A Memphis man was ordered held on $10,000 bond Friday morning on charges he convinced an 86-year-old Bartlett woman she needed a tree cut down, charged her $8,000 for the service, then later returned seeking another $2,500.

Richard H. Reed, 55, faces two counts of extortion in the case that occurred late last year. Bond was set by Bartlett Municipal Court Judge Freeman Marr after a brief appearance by Reed.

According to the affidavit of complaint against Reed, the victim said he came to her house, saying he noticed one of her trees needed trimming. After the woman agreed to let him work on the tree, he returned and said it should be cut down. When the woman said she needed to speak to a family member about the advice, Reed cut the tree down anyway.

According to the court document, he first demanded $6,000, then increased it to $7,000 for his services before finally saying the price was $8,000.

“The victim stated that (Reed) was very aggressive and caused her fear, so she paid the $8,000 in order to get the defendant to leave her residence,” the affidavit states.

The victim said Reed returned the next day demanding another $2,500, “stating that he had done additional unauthorized work,” according to the complaint. She paid again.

But when a woman approached the victim’s home seeking another $2,500 for Reed, the resident declined to answer the door. Police are not sure of that woman’s identity.

Authorities were able to get the suspect’s fingerprints from the check the victim used to pay him. A warrant was issued, leading to his arrest.

A check with a local tree service company showed the work could have been done for about $450, the affidavit states.

Capt. Richard Berryman of the Bartlett Police investigative services division said homeowners who are offered services such as mulch, leaf-raking or tree trimming, should only pay an agreed-upon price in such situations, and if a disagreement ensues, call the police.

“The thing they are trying to do is scare people,” he said, acknowledging that many of the targets are elderly residents.