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Giuseppe Deangelis, 45, of Ventnor City, is charged with arson, insurance fraud, reckless endangerment, and other counts related to the fire that destroyed his J&G Automotive in Kennett Square in 2021, prosecutors said.
Firefighters were called to the J&G, 340 Cream Street, around 1 a.m. on May 3 that year to find "heavy fire and smoke," according to part of the criminal complaint released by the DA's Office. The blaze ended in a "total loss of property," authorities said.
The same day of the fire, a claim was made on an insurance policy held by J&G, which "resulted in a payout of over $278,000 to the defendant," officials claimed.
Fire investigators later uncovered evidence from the scene that showed the blaze had been started in multiple areas of the building, including "near a desk where records were kept, and in a back storage room approximately 20 feet away," the release says.
The fire was determined "not to be electrical in nature," and a melted gas can was found in the office, fire officials added.
Detectives tried to pull security footage from the shop but found that three of the five cameras had been "disabled" before the fire started, they said.
Prosecutors say Deangelis was out of compliance with J&G's PennDOT inspection and emissions records, and was also under audit at the time of the fire. Investigators believe the business owner was also facing "mortgage forbearance, a civil suit, substantial debt to creditors, and a negative business banking balance," factors that they claim contributed to his alleged arson.
"DeAngelis believed that the only way to get out of a large financial debt was to set fire to his business and cash in a payout," said DA Ryan. "He not only put the life of another person at the location in jeopardy, but he risked the lives of all who came to assist, and risked setting fire to a business next door."
Deangelis was arraigned on multiple felony charges before Magisterial District Judge Iacocca, who set a $250,000 bond. Court records show he posted bail and is scheduled back in court for his preliminary hearing on May 24.
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