Remember this "scary hit" on a pizzeria owner in Caldwell? The owner has now been arrested.
Essex County Prosecutor Paula T. Dow announced today the arrest of Ylli Jashari, age 31, of Flanders, N.J. on charges of second degree conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, second degree aggravated arson to collect insurance proceeds, second degree insurance fraud, and two charges of aggravated assault upon West Caldwell Police officers. He has also been charged with three counts of making false police reports, a disorderly persons offense.The investigation, conducted by the Essex County Prosecutor's Arson Task Force and the West Caldwell Police Department, determined that Jashari had purchased an insurance policy for the business on the previous Thursday, March 20. Other evidence gathered by the detectives led them to conclude that a police report filed by Jashari on March 17th, in which he claimed that two black males had engaged in threatening behavior, was a ruse to provide a reason for the incident on March 23rd. The charges against Jashari allege that he and an unknown co-conspirator staged the March 23rd incident to collect insurance proceeds.
The charges arise from an incident reported by Jashari from his place of business, Franco's Pizzeria at 907 Bloomfield Ave. in West Caldwell early on the morning of March 23rd. West Caldwell Police and Fire Departments responded to that address and found Jashari taped and tied to a chair at the front of the restaurant. The officers broke through a plate glass window to rescue Jashari, injuring themselves in the process. A fire, determined to have been intentionally set, was found and extinguished in a back storage area. The restaurant had been closed for several hours before the incident, and Jashari had claimed that he had stayed late to do paperwork.
Jashari is being held at the Essex County Jail on $500,000 bail; iIf convicted on all counts, he faces up to 30 years in state prison.
Big Surprise!!! I think everyone who followed this story was waiting for this punchline.....