FIRE PROTECTION PROBE Company owner faces new charges

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- A New Castle man faces additional charges in a fire protection fraud case.
New Wilmington police said Anthony Villani, 48, of West Madison Avenue, owner of the now defunct M & amp;A Fire Protection Company, is charged with theft by deception and receiving stolen property. He is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in Lawrence County Central Court.
Police said the charges stem from an investigation at the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity house on Waugh Avenue. Police said Villani had been servicing and inspecting fire extinguishers and an automatic fire control system there from January 2000 to Aug. 19, 2004. During that time he submitted invoices totaling $2,554.04.
Police said the invoices were found to reflect numerous duplications of services and services that were not performed or needed. Police said the inspection tag on one fire extinguisher was punched to display an original inspection date of August-September 2002. The same tag was altered by hand to indicate it was not inspected again until the year 2004, police said. Villani invoiced Alpha Sigma Phi for services that included inspection and service to this fire extinguisher in September 2002, May 2003, September 2003, December 2003 and August 2004, police said.
Conclusion
The investigation concluded that Villani would appear at the fraternity house without an appointment or being invited. He would change or alter the inspection tags and equipment, and then demand immediate payment from one of the unsuspecting fraternity members on the premises at the time, police said.
The matter came to police attention when the mother of a fraternity house member was present when Villani showed up on Aug. 19, 2004.
She became suspicious when Villani vehemently demanded immediate payment to himself instead of M & amp;A Fire Protection Company for services that had not been scheduled, police said.
Villani faces similar charges in Ellwood City and New Castle.