Former South Jersey window business owner indicted
A grand jury has indicted a former Berlin Township window-business owner in the alleged theft of thousands of dollars from customers, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday.
A grand jury has indicted a former Berlin Township window-business owner in the alleged theft of thousands of dollars from customers, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday.
Firas Emachah, 42, owner of Dream House Windows Inc., took more than $200,000 in deposits from customers in New Jersey, New York state, and Pennsylvania for repair work that was never done, the Prosecutor's Office said.
Emachah also wrote bad checks when customers tried to get a refund, authorities said. Investigators have not charged other employees at the business. Emachah, who was indicted Thursday, was initially charged in July 2014. His business has since closed.
Under the indictment, he faces 17 counts of bad checks and 46 counts of theft by deception. He also did work under the business names Zaza Corp. and Dream House Exteriors, the Prosecutor's Office said.
He has a pre-arraignment conference Jan. 15 in Superior Court in Camden.
Emachah, of Shamong, also has been involved with the Haddon Heights business Creato Windows & Doors L.L.C., which is owned by David Creato. Creato is the grandfather of Brendan Link Creato, the 3-year-old Haddon Township boy whose body was found in woods Oct. 13. Authorities have not released a cause of death or made an arrest in the case.
In earlier interviews about the case, Emachah said he had known the Creato family for 12 years, and was helping out at their business but did not work there. He did not return a call for comment Tuesday, and the Prosecutor's Office declined to comment on the boy's case.
Those who believe they were victims of Emachah's alleged scheme are being asked to call Camden County Prosecutor's Office Detective Grace Clodfelter at 856-225-8479.
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