A Bristol man faces a felony charge of aggravated criminal mischief after allegedly talking utility workers into removing a large limb from his neighbor’s 150-year-old chestnut tree.
Anthony Capodilupo, 71, was charged March 27 after an investigation into the March 22 incident, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Michael Murphy said.
An arborist estimated the value of the tree at $5000. The value determines the severity of the charge, Murphy said.
Capodilupo allegedly approached contractors that were cutting trees around utility lines in the area and requested the work.
He did not share with the crews the information that “he did not own the tree,” Murphy said. “His neighbor did.”
The neighbors had a long-standing dispute about the tree, Murphy said, and Capodilupo used the utility workers to “do his dirty work.”
