Louigi Frank, 35, of Philadelphia. (Credit: Bedminster Township Police)
A warrant was issued for Louigi Frank, of Philadelphia, last week.
A Philadelphia man wanted by Buckingham Township Police for deceptive business practices and theft by deception for running an alleged driveway sealcoating scam was nabbed by Upper Moreland Township Police on Thursday in a separate incident.
Bedminster Township Police announced Tuesday that a warrant had been issued for the arrest Louigi Frank, 35, of the 8000 block of Castor Avenue, on felony charges of deceptive business practices and theft by deception for an incident that occurred on Irish Meetinghouse Road last month, police said.
On Friday, Upper Moreland Township Police arrested and charged Frank with misdemeanor drug possession charges from a Thursday arrest.
On Nov. 15, police were contacted by a family member of an 89-year-old female resident, who they believe is being taken advantage of by Seal Coat Pro, a driveway repair company reportedly owned by Frank, authorities allege.
Investigators arrived on scene to find Frank and his wife conducting patchwork on the driveway, police said. The resident told police she was approached by the Franks earlier in the month, claiming they had “extra material,” police said.
Frank then charged the resident $7,000 to sealcoat the driveway and do minor repairs, police said.
Police are familiar with investigating similar types of blacktop and sealcoating scams involving a sales pitch of “extra material,” specifically targeting senior citizens, authorities said.
Anyone who believes to be a victim of Seal Coat Pro or Frank’s business practices, call Bedminster Police Officer Jim Browne at 215-795-2972, ext. 108 or [email protected].
Seven years ago, on June 13, Lower Providence Township Police issued an arrest warrant for Frank for the exact same charges, stemming from a sealcoating scam against the elderly on two occasions in 2013. Frank was subsequently apprehended by Philadelphia Police that night.
He was never charged with anything other than misdemeanor defiant trespassing from April 2013 in the township, per court records. He pleaded guilty in November 2015 and served six months of probation.
Frank remains at Bucks County jail in lieu of 10% of $70,000 cash bail, per court records. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 23 at 10 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Gary Gambardella. He is represented by attorney Octavio Arechavala, of Philadelphia.
Bail in the Upper Moreland arrest was set at $5,000 unsecured and a preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 27 at 10:15 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Thomas P. Murt.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
