NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- A tree-trimming service that primarily serves southern Indiana is accused of scamming dozens of people after taking deposits and never doing any work.
Branchwalker Tree Service, owned by James Morgan, is accused both in civil and criminal court of stealing hundreds of dollars from at least two dozen customers.
Eric Michael Hebert hired Morgan in October 2021 to remove a tree in the front yard of his New Albany home.
"He was really charismatic, seemed like a really nice knowledgeable guy," Hebert said of Morgan. "For some reason, he talked me out of $350 up front. I figured $350? That'll be OK. And I wrote him the check for $350."
That was the last time Hebert saw Morgan or his $350 again.
Hebert soon began a deeper drive into Morgan and found that he was not alone, but Hebert was not the only person looking into Morgan. Last week, Morgan was charged with three counts of theft in Clark County: two misdemeanor and one felony.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the charges stem from a June incident, unrelated to Hebert, in which Morgan took deposits from three different people for tree limb work but never completed the job or communicated with the people who hired him.
Morgan is not in custody but is required to attend an initial appearance hearing on Sept. 7. Each count of felony theft is punishable by up to two and half years in prison.
Mike Hebert discusses his research into Branchwalker Tree Services (WDRB photo).
Morgan did not return a phone message seeking comment.
The Better Business Bureau has received at least eight complaints about Branchwalker and Morgan. Yelp and Facebook reviews put the company in the one-star category with a slew of complaints alleging similar practices.
Hebert went so far as to sue Morgan in Floyd County small claims court. He won a default judgment after Morgan failed to appear. A show-cause order was issued last month for Morgan to explain why he didn't come to court. If he does not answer, he could face additional penalties.
Based on Hebert's calculations, Morgan has taken more than $10,000 from people without doing the work as promised.
"It's happening to innocent, trusting people," he said. "I didn't lose that much compared to what some of these others say they lost. This guy is going around gaining their trust, misleading them and then taking their money and running. He's just got to be stopped."
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