A warrant’s been out since last spring for the arrest of a Merom man accused of intimidating a case manager in the child support division of the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office because the State had withheld his stimulus payment. He was booked into jail yesterday.                                                     

Timothy L. Richardson, 62, Merom, was booked into the Greene County Jail yesterday, Monday, November 22, around 2:30 p.m. as a result of an investigation by Detective David Elmore of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department.

An employee who works in the Greene County Courthouse as a case manager in the Child Support Division in the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office first reported the incident to Investigator Julie Criger in the prosecutor’s office who in turn reported the incident to Det. Elmore.

The incident took place during a phone conversation on April 1. The employee told Det. Elmore that in the course of her job, she had been cussed out many times over the phone but when she talked to Richardson, his statements were shocking. She said she was nervous about the situation and scared for her safety.

Investigator Criger also told Det. Elmroe that courthouse security personnel were going to be escorting the child support division employees to their vehicles after work as a result of Richardson’s call.

During interviews, Det. Elmore learned when Richardson called in that day, he first talked to another person and was not happy.  The employee (who reported the incident) said she would speak to him and the call was transferred to her.

The employee said Richardson was upset that she had taken his money. She explained she did not have anything to do with it and that the State had intercepted the stimulus check or his tax return. She said the situation escalated and he started cussing at her, not allowing her to speak.

According to Det. Elmore, the employee said Richardson kept telling her, “You took my money.” She explained to him that it had been two and one-half years since she last talked to him and at that time, he said he was going to pay off his balance.

According to the employee, Richardson then said, “You, I’m coming after you girls, I’m going to kill, no, I’m going to file a lawsuit against you.” The conversation ended after that.

Richardson is accused of intimidation, a Level 6 felony.

A criminal case was filed against him in April and a warrant for his arrest was issued on April 21 – it’s been outstanding since then until he was booked in yesterday.

Richardson’s bond was set at $4,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. He posted $400 and was released yesterday.

Richardson is due to appear in Greene Superior Court for his initial hearing next Monday morning, November 29.