Bensalem Police have arrested the owner of EMS Roofing, Eric Small, for fraudulent and deceptive business practices.
Small, 39 of Doylestown, was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Michael W. Gallagher on felony counts of theft by deception and receiving advance payment for services – failing to perform setting bail at 10 percent of $400, 000 and remanding him to Bucks County Jail.
According to the criminal complaint, the victim in this case filed a report of fraud with Bensalem Police on Nov. 5, 2025.
Bensalem police reported to the victim’s home, where they discovered that on July 14, 2024, he filed a wind storm and rain damage claim with his home insurance company, State Farm, for roof damage that also caused interior water damage to his home.
To date, the roof has not been repaired, police said.
The victim explained, according to police, that the day after the claim, he had contracted EMS Roofing to do the roof repairs. He signed a contract with Phoenix Public Adjusters (PA) LLC to handle his State Farm claim based on Small’s recommendation.
On July 30 of the year the claim was made, a State Farm contractor inspected the home’s roof, court records show.
On Aug 28 of that year, State Farm issued a check to Phoenix PA for $43,601.45 to settle the roof and interior damage claims, according to court records.
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On September 16th, Small’s company did some testing of the damaged roof and found evidence that there was more damage to the roof than originally estimated. Small sent a letter to State Farm claiming that the roof shingles could not be fixed and needed to be replaced, police said in the probable cause.
However, four days before this, Phoenix PA issued a check to EMS Roofing and the plaintiff for $38,369.28, followed by the company withdrawing from the case after disputes with Small.
The day Small’s company performed tests on the roof, he deposited the $38 thousand check into his bank account.
The only person to endorse the check was Small, police said. The victim was not made aware of the check being issued nor was his signature on the check, police said.
Small, according to police, never did the repairs to the roof after cashing the first check. Due to this, the victim has been unable to complete interior repairs for his second roof claim, while the roof is currently leaking, until it is replaced as specified in his first insurance claim, police said.
On Nov. 18, 2025, a Bensalem Police detective met with Small who admitted to depositing the check into his bank account. Small claimed his business partner, who also happened to be his girlfriend, misused the funds for unauthorized business expenses, the probable cause alleges.
On December 22 of that year, according to police, a detective met with Small and obtained a search warrant for his bank account, confirming the $38 thousand check had been deposited by him.
Small is due back in court on August 25 to answer to said charges.
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