Upper Saddle River Homeowner Hired Two Rumson Men to Burn His House, Complaint Alleges; Prosecutor Waited 17 Days to Announce First Arrests

UPPER SADDLE RIVER, N.J. — A criminal complaint in the Upper Saddle River arson-for-hire case says the man accused of paying two Rumson men to burn a house on Lake Road was the homeowner himself. The complaint, which the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office provided to Bergen TV on Tuesday, Oct. 20, also cites video evidence and recorded statements, and says the alleged offense was recorded on cellphone video.

The two Rumson men were charged on Friday, Oct. 2. The Prosecutor’s Office did not make those arrests public until Monday, Oct. 19, 17 days later, a Bergen TV review of the case timeline found. The Oct. 19 release also announced the arrest of the man prosecutors say hired them: Emad E. Gerges, 66, of Upper Saddle River, who was arrested Friday, Oct. 16.

Taken together, the dates in the release show that 504 days passed between the fire and the first arrests. Fire officials had classified the fire’s cause as undetermined, and it was 346 days after the fire that the Prosecutor’s Arson Squad received the tip that led to the charges.

What the complaint says

The complaint-warrant against Joseph Vulpis, 62, of Rumson, was signed by a law enforcement officer on Oct. 2. A judicial officer found probable cause and issued the warrant the same day. The copy Bergen TV received is redacted, including the Lake Road house number.

In the affidavit of probable cause, dated Sept. 29, the officer wrote that the house “was considered a complete loss.” The affidavit says video evidence and statements obtained during the investigation reveal that Vulpis and Anthony V. Coviello “were hired by homeowner Emad ‘Mike’ Gerges to intentionally set fire to the residence” for financial compensation. It says the two men used an accelerant and an ignition source to set fire to the attic.

A preliminary law enforcement incident report attached to the complaint says Vulpis made “statements/admissions” that were recorded on a stationhouse interview-room camera. It also says the offense was recorded on cellphone video. The report does not say who recorded the video. The affidavit lists the injury to any victim as “N/A.”

The complaint charges Vulpis with six offenses and lists Coviello as his co-defendant. The defense counsel section of the court-action pages is blank. Bergen TV has not seen the complaints against Coviello or Gerges.

What prosecutors allege

According to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella, Upper Saddle River police and firefighters responded at about 2:23 p.m. on May 16, 2025, to a house fire on Lake Road and found the home engulfed in flames. The Upper Saddle River Fire Department put the fire out with help from mutual-aid departments. After a preliminary investigation, fire officials classified the cause and origin as undetermined, the release says.

In a post two days after the fire, the Upper Saddle River Fire Department said the blaze went to four alarms. Because the area has no hydrants, tankers were brought in from mutual-aid departments. The department reported no injuries.

On April 27, 2026, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Rumson Police Department gave the Prosecutor’s Arson Squad information about the fire, according to the release. The Arson Squad then opened a joint investigation with Upper Saddle River police, assisted by the Monmouth prosecutor’s office and Rumson police. Neither the release nor the complaint describes what that information was.

Investigators allege that Gerges hired Coviello, 54, and Vulpis, both of Rumson, to burn the house. On May 16, 2025, the two men allegedly went inside and used an accelerant and a homemade ignitor to set the attic on fire.

The arrests

Detectives arrested Coviello at his Rumson home on Oct. 2. The same day, Vulpis surrendered at the Englishtown Police Department. Each man is charged with:

• first-degree arson for hire
• second-degree aggravated arson
• second-degree conspiracy to commit aggravated arson
• third-degree arson
• third-degree criminal mischief
• fourth-degree failure to control or report a fire

Gerges was arrested Oct. 16 with help from the Saddle River Police Department. He is charged with first-degree arson for hire and second-degree conspiracy to commit aggravated arson.

All three men were taken to the Bergen County Jail and made a first appearance in Superior Court in Hackensack. All three were then released pending further court action, the release says. The investigation was led by the Prosecutor’s Office, under Chief Jeff Angermeyer, and the Upper Saddle River Police Department, under Chief Patrick Rotella. The Englishtown, Fair Haven and Saddle River police departments also assisted.

What is still unanswered

Neither the release nor the complaint explains why the Oct. 2 arrests were announced on Oct. 19. Neither says why the homeowner would allegedly pay to have his own house burned, whether an insurance claim was filed, or whether anyone was home at the time. No defense attorneys are named.

Bergen TV emailed the Prosecutor’s Office on Oct. 19 asking about the timing of the announcement, the defense attorneys, the house number, any alleged motive and the next court date. On Oct. 20, the office replied with the complaint against Vulpis and said, “No further information is available at this time.” This story will be updated if more information becomes available.

Charges are accusations. Prosecutor Musella said all of the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Anyone with information can call the Prosecutor’s Office tip line at (201) 226-5532.

Sources: Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, “Three Charged in Upper Saddle River Arson-for-Hire Investigation,” Oct. 19, 2026; complaint-warrant 0290-W-2026-000380, State v. Joseph Vulpis (redacted), with affidavit of probable cause and preliminary law enforcement incident report, provided by the Prosecutor’s Office on Oct. 20, 2026; Upper Saddle River Fire Department, “Lake Road Structure Fire May 16, 2025” (posted May 18, 2025).