Al's Plumbing & Heating had a loyal following.
Alphonse "Al" Famiano started the Villas business in 1980, and the master plumber's professionalism and work ethic left many singing his praises.
But following his death in April, discrepancies were discovered in the business' books.
An approximately $300,000 discrepancy, it turned out, according to charges now filed against his office manager and her husband, who worked as a plumber for the business.
A Galloway Township couple who worked for the business were arrested this week, facing eight second-degree criminal counts. Lower Township police released them on summonses, without being booked in the jail.
Jenna Gibson Handlovsky, 35, and Chadwick Handlovsky, 33, were fired in June, and Lower Township police were called.
An investigation found that while customers were promised large discounts if they paid through Venmo, Zelle or Square, according to the affidavit of probable cause obtained by BreakingAC.
There was just on problem: Al's did not take payment in these forms.
While the public screen names of these accounts showed that they belonged either to the business or Famiano, they all were linked to the Handlovskys' Bank of America account, the affidavit alleges.
"We have never (accepted) these payments. Just cash, credit card or check," a post on the business Facebook read June 26, urging those who paid with these other forms to reach out to Famiano's widow.
The total amount stolen was not clear, but is said to be about $300,000.
The two main Venmo accounts had a total of $285,081, with $257,261 withdrawn, the affidavit states.
The amounts withdrawn matched deposits made to the Bank of America account, with memo notes indicating specific jobs/addresses, according to the affidavit.
The scheme went on for about three years, and seems possibly to have included a third person whose name is redacted in the affidavit and does not appear to have been charged.
When investigators asked for a statement, the pair said they had an attorney and refused to speak to police, the affidavit states.
Their arrests this week brought the issue to light.
"Our hearts are filled with both relief and deep emotion knowing that Jenna and Chad, who stole from Al’s Plumbing & Heating, have been arrested," Famiano's daughter wrote on the company's Facebook. "This situation has been especially painful because my father — who built this business with his own hands — was very sick at the time and has since passed away. Knowing that these individuals took advantage of him and stole from him during such a vulnerable period adds a level of hurt that is hard to put into words."
The Handlovskys are charged with eight second-degree counts each, including theft by deception, money laundering and conspiracy to commit theft.
They were charged on summonses, meaning they were not taken to jail and instead remain free.
While a press release from Lower Township police said the pair was released in accordance with bail reform, the department had the option to charge the pair on warrants, which would have had them processed into the Cape May County Correctional Center and allowed the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office the option of making a motion to detain them prior to trial.
Lower Township police could not be reached for comment. The Cape May County Prosecutor's Office did not respond to an email seeking comment.
If anyone has additional information regarding this case, please contact the Lower Township Police Department at 609-886-2711.
