Charge dismissed against woman who allegedly tried to bribe Newburyport man

Dave Rogers, The Daily News of Newburyport, Mass.
·2 min read

Jun. 17—NEWBURYPORT — A Seabrook woman charged with trying to bribe a local man to get her husband off the hook saw the intimidating a witness charge dismissed Monday after she paid the man $4,850 in restitution, according to Newburyport District Court records.

Ashley Perkins, 27, of Farm Lane, wife of RJM Contractors owner Robert Merrill, was accused in late December of asking the man to drop a larceny charge against her husband in exchange for $4,500.

Merrill, 31, has a warrant for his arrest after defaulting on numerous court cases related to the Newburyport charge and larceny charges filed last winter by Amesbury and Haverhill police.

He was initially summonsed Oct. 26 on a charge of larceny over $1,200 by false pretenses after police say he pocketed a $4,650 deposit given to him in August by the Newburyport homeowner for work on his property and not returning the deposit when the owner changed his mind as allowed by their contract, according to court records.

On Wednesday, Newburyport police Inspector Christopher McDonald confirmed Merrill is still on the loose.

RJM Construction, founded in 2008, specializes in the installation of paver stones and retaining walls among other work, according to the company's website.

In December, Perkins sent a text to the Newburyport victim asking him to drop the larceny charge, saying her husband's business was in danger, according to McDonald.

"Good evening (victim), this is Ashley from RJM, would you be willing to accept the $4,500 from the company and drop the larceny charges? We need these charges gone ASAP," she texted, according to McDonald's report.

Upon Merrill's arraignment for the Newburyport larceny charge on Nov. 11, Merrill was ordered to have no contact with the homeowner.

"Both Ms. Perkins and Mr. Merrill reside together at Farm Lane in Seabrook and they appear to work together at RJM," McDonald wrote in his report, adding that he was seeking a warrant for her arrest.

Merrill stole $6,600 from a local couple who hired him to build a patio and a deck, according to Amesbury police.

In connection with the Haverhill charge, the alleged victim told a Daily News reporter that Merrill took $5,000 from him when Merrill agreed to build patios for him and his brother over the summer but never did the work.

Anyone with information regarding Merrill is urged to contact McDonald at 978-462-4411, ext. 1006, or cmcdonald@newburyportpolice.com.

Dave Rogers is a reporter with the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.

Dave Rogers is a reporter with the Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: drogers@newburyportnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @drogers41008.