Prosecutors accused a Boston tow truck operator of trying to extort money from a woman whose car he was towing, all while allegedly driving with a suspended license.

Tyrone Rutledge, 33, was arrested over the weekend and arraigned in the West Roxbury division of Boston Municipal Court on Monday, according to a statement from the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office. He pleaded not guilty and was released on $100 bail, with orders to stay away from the victim and comply with motor vehicle restrictions.

Rutledge faces two felony charges: extortion by false reporting of a crime and witness intimidation. He is also charged with attempting to commit a crime, driving with a suspended license, operating a vehicle without insurance, a registration violation and several civil driving violations.

A lawyer for Rutledge, Steven C. Boozang, said in an interview that the entire episode has been blown “way out of proportion.”

A woman told Boston police Saturday night that her car had been towed and that the driver was trying to extort money from her, prosecutors said. The woman said when she called the towing company, the man on the phone falsely claimed the vehicle was incorrectly registered and was not insured.

The man, later identified as Rutledge, allegedly told her she would have to come to his Roxbury residence and provide him with $300 in cash if she wanted her car back, prosecutors said.

Officers were interviewing the woman on Walk Hill Street when Rutledge and another woman arrived at the scene in a tow truck. Prosecutors said Rutledge, who was allegedly driving, switched seats with the woman in the cab and refused to get out of the truck. Officers then arrested Rutledge and his partner.

Prosecutors said Rutledge’s partner, Brittney Rivera of Boston, was also driving with a suspended license. Rivera, 32, will be arraigned at a later date.

“The only way we can make progress on these types of crimes is when victims come forward rather than simply giving in to whatever scam is being attempted on them,” Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden said in a statement. “That’s exactly what this victim did and he deserves a lot of credit for his quick and correct decision.”

Rutledge was released on bond Monday and was later transported to Dedham District Court, where he is currently being held on probation violation charges. Rutledge pleaded guilty in August to charges of receiving a stolen motor vehicle, according to court records.

Rutledge’s attorney has disputed prosecutors’ account, suggesting the woman’s complaint was a “sting operation” by police. The woman’s car was initially towed for a parking violation, he said, and the “confusion” surrounding the vehicle’s registration came later. Boozang said Rutledge’s towing company, Up N Down Towing, has a contract with the apartment complex where the woman had parked.

Additionally, Rutledge “never, ever” asked the car’s owner to come to his house, Boozang added.

“Did you have a suspended license?” said. “Of course, absolutely. He made that mistake and right now he’s in jail thinking about it. But did all these things happen? I’ve known Tyrone for about 10 years. “I think he’s a much better person than that, and I think he’s a much smarter person than putting himself in that position.”

Rutledge currently has an open firearms case in Suffolk Superior Court, prosecutors said. He previously served four years in prison after pleading guilty to armed assault with intent to murder in connection with a 2009 shooting in Dorchester, according to court records.

“Tyrone is a hard-working person who had a difficult upbringing, but he has worked very hard to try to get better,” Boozang said. “At times he has found himself in trouble again. … But to me this seems like a big misunderstanding.”

Rutledge will remain in custody until a probation violation hearing in Dedham, scheduled for Nov. 22. He is expected to return to BMC on December 11 for a pre-trial hearing.

You can contact Camilo Fonseca at [email protected]. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on instagram @camilo_fonseca.reportes.