The awards banquet is Sunday night.

More than a dozen female inmates accused an officer of sexual abuse. He was fired, but never charged with a crime.

SPECIAL REPORT:
'LOCKED UP, FIGHTING BACK'

More than a dozen inmates at New Jersey's only women's prison accused the officer of physical and sexual abuse before an internal investigation verified their claims. The officer was fired, but maintains his innocence, and he was never criminally charged.

An NJ Advance Media review of internal prison documents and court records shows corrections officials had gathered a trove of evidence against the officer. Inmates say prosecutors now need to revisit the case.

Read 'LOCKED UP, FIGHTING BACK'

See the latest top 10.

Neighboring Pohatcong Township appears willing to help out temporarily.

As Phillipsburg deals with potentially hazardous mold found in the municipal building, the town is reaching out to its neighbors for help.

The town's courtroom, which also serves as its council meeting chambers, was one place where mold was found in the building.

Phillipsburg Council President Todd Tersigni on Friday said he reached out to Pohatcong Township Mayor James Kern III about holding Phillipsburg's municipal court there until a long-term solution is found.

"We would welcome them with open arms," Kern said in a news release.

Both separately told lehighvalleylive.com that discussions are in progress with leaders in each town and a formal meeting will be arranged as soon as possible to hammer out details, including the cost.

Mayor to Trump: Help restore passenger rail

Phillipsburg's municipal court is held every Wednesday, a schedule Kern said Pohatcong would be able to accommodate. Phillipsburg would use its own staff, needing only Pohatcong's space.

A recently completed environmental analysis found mold in the Phillipsburg municipal building, 675 Corliss Ave., that could pose a risk to anyone with respiratory issues or other ailments, like allergies or lung disease, the town said in a news release Wednesday. The release advised that anyone with such conditions should "exercise judgement when entering the building."

Mold was reportedly found in the court/council chambers on the second floor and in the basement. Most of the town offices are on the building's first floor.

Motel 6 coming to Phillipsburg?

A follow-up study is expected to come back in three weeks, the results of which could determine if the building can be remediated or if the offices will have to be relocated.

Officials have pitched the idea of moving the offices back downtown at least twice in the last few years. The offices moved from the downtown in the 1970s.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

See who is having the best seasons in the pool.

Here are the top times in the area for girls swimming individual events and the top scores for diving this season.

These are only from results that have been reported to lehighvalleylive.com. Meets should be reported to sports@lehighvalleylive.com.

(Note: The times in this post will update automatically as results are entered. There may be a delay in entering results.)

Josh Folck may be reached at jfolck@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshFolck. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.

Chris Mann took over in the fourth quarter for P'burg.

Phillipsburg High School junior Chris Mann took over in the fourth quarter as the Stateliners boys basketball team upset Hunterdon Central 60-50 during a Skyland Conference Raritan Division game in front of a big home crowd.

Mann had a dunk, a transition layup and then a putback to stretch Phillipsburg’s lead to 54-40 with 4:38 remaining in the fourth quarter.

A bucket by Sam Johnson got Hunterdon Central, the No. 7 team in Group 4 according to NJ.com, within 56-50 with 57.3 seconds left. Zach Troxell, however, made a pair of free throws and, after a big offensive rebound from Jayshawn Grant, Bryce Feddeman added two more from the line to secure the victory for P’burg (8-6 overall, 4-5 division).

The defeat is the first divisional loss for Hunterdon Central (13-2, 8-1).

Mann finished with 23 points. Jermaine Knight added 13 points for the Stateliners, who led the entire second half.

Tucker Richardson paced the Red Devils with 18 points.

Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.

The announcement comes amid talks with another neighboring township.

Until further notice, anyone summoned to a Phillipsburg municipal court hearing should head to Alpha, according to an alert Saturday posted on the town's website.

That came as a surprise to Phillipsburg Council President Todd Tersigni and Pohatcong Township Mayor James Kern III, who a day earlier had announced they had started their own talks for the same temporary service.

Phillipsburg Council President Todd Tersigni (lehighvalleylive.com file photo) 

Either way, municipal court cannot be held in Phillipsburg until mold in the municipal building is dealt with. Town council meetings are held in the same chamber.

Saturday's announcement says Phillipsburg municipal court will be in Alpha's borough hall at 1001 East Blvd., and town council and land use board meetings will be held at the Phillipsburg Elementary School, 525 Warren Street.

Phillipsburg Mayor Stephen Ellis on Saturday said he had begun making arrangements early in the week with the Phillipsburg School District and Alpha, which has shared Phillipsburg's court for four years.

The mayor also said that Tersigni was advised of the developments. Tersigni said he was not told of any other talks going on.

P'burg town offices may need to move

Ellis said the New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts was OK with the temporary move to Alpha. Phillipsburg did not appear on a list of relocated municipal courts, and an office spokeswoman could not be reached Saturday for confirmation.

Alpha Mayor Craig Dunwell said he met Friday with Phillipsburg court staff to review the space available in his borough. He said it was likely court would resume Feb. 8 after certain equipment needs to be installed.

In Pohatcong, Kern said the offer to host Phillipsburg's court is still on the table.

"I'm not sure what their internal discussions are over there," Kern said, "but I got a call from a neighboring town and said yeah, we'd be willing to help."

Phillipsburg Mayor Stephen Ellis (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com) 

Ellis acknowledged that the decision of where to host town council meetings does fall to Tersigni, the council president. Tersigni said the Phillipsburg Senior Center is willing to host meetings, too.

A recently completed environmental analysis found mold in the Phillipsburg municipal building, 675 Corliss Ave., that could pose a risk to anyone with respiratory issues or other ailments, like allergies or lung disease, the town said in a news release Wednesday. The release advised that anyone with such conditions should "exercise judgement when entering the building."

Mold was reportedly found in the court/council chambers on the second floor and in the basement. Most of the town offices are on the building's first floor.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The 19-year-old driver was not hurt in the early morning crash.

A 19-year-old driver was trying to avoid a deer when her vehicle rolled off the side of Route 519 and down an embankment early Saturday, according to Lopatcong Township police.

The motorist, identified by township police as Hannah L. Moyna of the first block of Alice Court in Blairstown Township, was reportedly headed north about 3:30 a.m. when she crashed just south of a railroad tunnel. The car struck the edge of a guide rail and overturned down a 15- to 20-foot embankment, police said.

Moyna was not hurt and got herself out of the car and up to the road to await family and flag down a passing patrol, police said.

She was issued a summons for careless driving and a provisional license violation. Drivers under 21 with a provisional license are not supposed to drive between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., police said.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

The winner will be announced Sunday night.

The Golden Hawk sophomore's father, Scott, was a 1992 state champion for Phillipsburg. Luca Frinzi, who won a key match in the defeat of Nazareth, hopes to follow Scott's path.

When your father was a state champion wrestler, the expectations for the son start high.

And in Luca Frinzi’s case, the Bethlehem Catholic sophomore may be starting to fulfill them.

“I have seen Luca progress so much since he was a freshman,” said Becahi head coach Jeff Karam after Frinzi played a major role in the Golden Hawks’ 40-20 defeat of Nazareth in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference wrestling championship Saturday night in front of a well-filled gym at Easton Area Middle School. “But I as start watching him more and more, I know he has a lot more left.”

Frinzi’s father, Scott, was a 1992 state champion for Phillipsburg at 125 pounds and serves as an assistant coach for Becahi.

“My dad just told me to go out and wrestle my match (against Nazareth),” Frinzi said.

That he did, and very well too.

Frinzi’s 11-3 major decision over Blue Eagle freshman Jake Dressler at 145 pounds came at the end of four straight decisions Becahi ground out at the start to the match to take a 14-0 lead. Nazareth did rally to take the lead twice, by one point, but the early wins provided the Golden Hawks, ranked #1 in the region by lehighvalleylive and #8 in the nation by Intermat, with a solid foundation for a big win over Nazareth (#2/#14).

“It was a spectacular start,” Frinzi said. “We didn’t know who it was going to go and we knew there were a lot of tossups. But we knew our teammates would come up to the occasion.”

It’s never easy for an athlete to be best known as somebody else’s son, brother, mother, sister, etc. It’s safe to say more wrestling fans know who Scott Frinzi is than Luca. It does probably helps the younger Frinzi that he wrestles at Becahi and not Phillipsburg, where the spotlight of the past would shine brighter.

But, as Karam noted, the spotlight may start shining on Frinzi more often. That’s fine with him.

“I could have that about having a father as a state champion as putting pressure on me,” Frinzi said. “But instead I think about it as a goal I think I can achieve, that I may achieve in my junior or senior year if I keep working hard.”

If it sounds like Luca Frinzi is pretty level-headed and thoughtful for a sophomore, he is. That shows up on the mat as well. In the third period against Dressler, Frinzi had just scored three back points to take a 9-2 lead, and a Dressler escape made it 9-3.

“I saw with about 45 seconds left it was 9-3 and I needed another takedown for the major decision.,” Frinzi said. “So I let the clock wind down a little bit until there was 20 seconds to go, time to take him down and hold him down for the major (at 11-3, the eight-point margin). I knew I had to get the bonus points.”

Frinzi may have been wrestling a freshman but he was prepared for a tougher assignment.

“I did think I might have to wrestle (Nazareth’s unbeaten and nationally-ranked) Sammy Sasso,” Frinzi said. “I was prepared to face him.”

After all, what Frinzi sees in practice can prepare him for anything.

“I work with (Becahi’s undefeated and nationally-ranked) Mikey Labriola in the room, and he pishes me to my limit,” Frinzi said. “Mikey has helped me a lot.”

And maybe Labriola has helped Luca Frinzi get ready to fulfill the expectations of being a state champion’s son as well.

Brad Wilson may be reached at bwilson@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradwsports. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.

The cases date back to 2013 and '14.

The wheels of justice continue turning in Warren County.

There are three homicide cases, the oldest dating back to 2013 and '14, that could be resolved this year. Here's where they stand, according to prosecutors.

SALIM NEWTON

Salim Newton listens in Warren County court on Oct. 24, 2016. (Tim Wynkoop | lehighvalleylive.com contributor) 

The case: The 30-year-old is accused in the September 2013 shooting death of 22-year-old Melissa Williams, the mother of his child, in her Phillipsburg home. Newton was arrested about a month later in Virginia.

Status: A trial date is to be determined at a Feb. 16 hearing. A trial was started in November, but halted when Newton changed attorneys.

RALPH ATKINSON

Ralph A. Atkinson, of Knowlton Township, is accused of killing his girlfriend in 2014. (Courtesy photo) 

The case: The 41-year-old from Knowlton Township is charged in two separate cases. In the first, he is accused of killing his girlfriend, 45-year-old Margaret Graf-White, with a knife and hammer in May 2014 at the woman's West Stewart Street home in Washington. In the second, he is accused of recording sex acts with a child between 2012 and 2014.

Status: Atkinson has claimed to be mentally unfit to stand trial. The state is verifying the claim and a hearing is scheduled Feb. 23. If he were to face a jury, prosecutors have said the cases would be tried separately.

DANIEL LAWRENCE

Daniel J. Lawrence, of Washington, is charged with fatally stabbing a man in 2014. (Courtesy photo) 

The case: The 29-year-old from Washington is accused of fatally stabbing 30-year-old Warren Moore, of Jersey City, with a 3-inch folding knife during a confrontation in September 2014 outside Lawrence's East Washington Avenue home.

Status: A May 1 trial has been scheduled.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

A New Jersey State Police helicopter was used to help in a search, which failed to turn up a driver.

A Honda Odyssey minivan with apparent crash damage but no driver fueled a search that initially shut the eastbound lanes of Interstate 78 on Sunday night in Greenwich Township, New Jersey State Police said.

The investigation is continuing into the incident, which was reported at 9:44 p.m. at mile marker 4, Trooper Alejandro Goez said.

The van had "significant damage" that appeared to come from a crash but no other vehicle was involved, Goez said. The van was found in the right lane, he added.

MORE: Slate Belt man badly hurt in crash

A search -- it involved police, other emergency personnel and a helicopter -- did not locate anyone from the van, Goez said. Dispatches stated the concern was that someone was thrown from the vehicle, which was on the highway's right shoulder.

There didn't appear to be evidence of injuries inside the van, Goez said.

The highway was temporarily shut eastbound, Goez said, but two lanes closer to the center median were soon opened. On-ramps were shut as well, according to witness accounts.

In addition to state police, responding were the Stewartsville Fire Company, Greenwich Township Rescue Squad, Pohatcong Township fire police and paramedics from Hunterdon Medical Center.

The search ended just before 11 p.m., Goez said.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

Collections are set to begin for the Bethlehem YWCA's 10th annual Prom Dress Day.

Ladies, it's time to search the back of your closet and the bottom of your accessory drawer and give new life to gently used formal dresses, purses, shoes and accessories.

YWCA Bethlehem announced the official donation drop-off locations for its 10th annual Prom Dress Day event to be held on March 25 at the State Theatre in Easton.

Donations of gently used prom dresses, purses, shoes and jewelry help high school girls glam up for that most important event, the prom.

YWCA's Prom Dress Day provides affordable clothing, shoes, purses and accessories to local junior and senior girls. A wide selection of styles and sizes are needed, including plus sizes, to make Prom Dress Day a success.

Donations may be dropped off at the following locations between Feb. 13 and March 3:

• Charles Chrin Community Center: 4100 Green Pond Road, Palmer Township, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

• Firth Youth Center: 108 Anderson St., Phillipsburg, 3 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

• Hanover Township Community Center: 3660 Jacksonville Road, Hanover Township, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

• The Perfect Fit (operated by YWCA Allentown): 1101 W. Hamilton Center, 3rd floor Allentown, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

• YWCA Bethlehem: 3893 Adler Place, Building B, Suite 180, Bethlehem (off of Highland Avenue) 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Dresses and other donation items should be in "prom worthy" condition, with no noticeable stains or tears, and preferably less than five years old.

For information, call 610-867-4669, ext. 104, or visit ywcabethlehem.org for more information.

Do you have community news to share? To see it posted here and possibly in The Express-Times, send me an email.

Customers claim A.J. Perri, one of New Jersey's largest heating and cooling companies, uses questionable sales practices.

As consumers, we fear and dread the up-sell.

We hate when salespeople of any kind fool us into buying services and products we don't need.

Or scare us into thinking if we don't act, we'll put our families at risk.

But one of New Jersey's largest plumbing, heating and air conditioning companies has institutionalized those tactics to the detriment of customers, according to interviews with two current employees, two former employees and dozens of homeowners who have had contact with the firm, Tinton Falls-based A.J. Perri.

Karl Baer of Morganville was featured in a Bamboozled column in which an employee said Baer was sold a sewer pipe replacement job he didn't need. Tom Brenner/For NJ Advance Media

In the three weeks since Bamboozled profiled an 86-year-old man who said A.J. Perri pressured him to take a $9,500 up-sell for unneeded work, two dozen customers came forward with similar stories via email, as did dozens more on NJ.com and on NJ.com's Facebook page. And employees who are unhappy with the company's practices have spoken out.

The employees said -- and consumer stories claim -- the company regularly sells jobs that aren't needed, uses fear tactics to get customers to act immediately and teaches employees how to offer the most expensive solution first.

Internal emails show sales incentives, and a sales script coaches company reps to offer jobs for which "money is no object."

The up-sell environment is fostered by a commission-based sales structure, with low-rung employees who respond to calls awarded bonuses for persuading customers to accept additional diagnostic services, which sometimes lead to recommendations for more expensive jobs, the current and former employees said.

Sales reps who are paid on commission follow up, sometimes recommending extensive work that was later deemed by second and third estimates to be significantly overpriced or unnecessary, employees and consumers said.

This spreadsheet was found in an A.J. Perri "Plumbing Price Book" that was inadvertently left by an employee at a customer's home. It shows sales and service visits by plumbers, with categories that include "Billable Efficiancy %," "Revenue," "New Agreements Close Ratio," "Average Ticket," "Sales leads," "Same Day Camera Tech," "% of Dig Holes Closed Same Day," "Daily Rank Totals For Month," and " Monthly Overall Rank."A.J. Perri Plumbing Price Book

"They reward top salesmen with bonuses, trips to Mexico, dinners, etc.," one current employee said. "They do not reward non-sales or telling someone everything is okay."

All of the employees spoke on the condition of anonymity. The current employees said they feared losing their jobs. The former employees said they did not want their names associated with A.J. Perri.

Bamboozled confirmed the employee identities through document verification, social media searches and cross-checking internal information with other employees.

A.J. Perri president Kevin Perri responded on behalf of the company and its Tennessee-based parent, American Residential Services (ARS), saying customers are free to choose some, all or none of the proposed service options.

When asked about salespeople using scare tactics, Perri said, "Absolutely not, and we will not tolerate that behavior."

You can read Perri's full statement here.

Customers let Bamboozled know how they feel about the company, coming forward in unusually high numbers. Dozens emailed with their experiences. Hundreds shared personal stories on NJ.com and on the NJ.com Facebook page. And while we occasionally receive internal documents from company insiders, none of our reports has prompted this many to step forward.

Perri declined to comment specifically on the cases highlighted by Bamboozled.

The state has taken interest in the claims made by consumers.

"The Division of Consumer Affairs is concerned about the allegations against A.J. Perri," a spokeswoman for the agency said. "The Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers plans to discuss the allegations during its meeting on Feb. 23, and the Division encourages consumers to report any allegations of unscrupulous sales tactics by this company."

'SCARE TACTICS'

In early 2013, PSE&G diagnosed small fractures in Tina Snedeker's furnace. The rep said it wasn't an emergency, but that the unit should eventually be replaced because the fractures could grow and leak carbon monoxide, Snedeker said.

That fall, the family decided to replace the furnace, water heater and air conditioner before the next winter, so they made appointments with several companies for estimates.

Two sales reps from A.J. Perri were the first to arrive at the Mercer County home, she said.

The salesmen took measurements and discussed price points, then went outside to give the couple privacy to discuss the offer, Snedeker said.

They decided they still wanted additional estimates before making a decision.

"When the salesmen came back into the house and we told them we would be in touch, one salesman showed us a picture of a furnace that caught on fire due to fractures in the furnace and stressed that we could be putting ourselves into a dangerous situation," Snedeker said.

Then the salesman declared there was unsafe carbon monoxide in the basement, she said. But the home had several carbon monoxide detectors, including one 10 feet from the furnace, Snedeker said. None had ever gone off.

When the couple said they weren't ready to sign, the salesman said Kevin Perri would want to know why they didn't get the sale, she said.

"After they left, my husband and I commented to each other that an elderly person could easily be convinced to purchase immediately out of fear of a fire," Snedeker added. "We did not appreciate them trying to scare us into a contract."

Another customer said that when he called A.J. Perri for a pre-winter check-up of his 20-year-old boiler in the fall of 2014, he was told it was emitting dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.

Richard Gomulka of Lanoka Harbor stands with his new boiler. He said A.J. Perri used fear tactics to persuade him to purchase new equipment but he hired someone else for the job. Russ DeSantis/For NJ Advance Media

"I was really scared at this point because the supervisor was telling me how deadly it can be," said Richard Gomulka, who lives in Lanoka Harbor.

But during a second opinion, Gomulka said, a different plumber said the system was perfectly safe and that Gomulka was being "ripped off." The new plumber also told Gomulka he could replace the system for less than half of the $12,500 A.J. Perri price.

Gomulka said he visited company headquarters to cancel.

"They tried to use their scare tactics on me again," he said. "It didn't end there. [They] called me the next day and tried to scare me again."

One employee said fear is a common tactic in company sales.

"The sales tactics are all fear based -- fear that the problem can get worse or cause damage," the employee said.

Christina Marold said her grandparents, who are both in their 90s, called A.J. Perri because their Somerset home's water drained slowly.

It was February 2015, and a salesman told the couple a blockage was caused by a crushed cast iron pipe under the basement floor, Marold said.

They'd need to excavate the floor and dig two feet down and 35 feet across, Marold said.

Marold's grandfather agreed to the $18,505 job.

The work started the next day, Marold said, because the salesman warned the blockage could worsen and cause overflows.

The view of the basement in Christina Marold's grandparents' home. Marold said A.J. Perri left a mess after it dug up the basement to replace a sewer line. Christina Marold

"[My father] said he didn't have any choice because he'd have no water, no shower," said the homeowner's daughter, Erika Marold, who is also Christina's mother. "He was scared that the laundry machine could be spewing up water and the sinks could be overflowing."

Erika Marold said she tried to see the damage, but workers said they didn't dig down all the way to the old pipes so there was nothing to see. Instead, workers connected new pipes to both ends of the system above the older pipes, Marold said.

In the end, the family said, the house was covered in cement dust. A.J. Perri agreed to pay a $620 house cleaning bill, documents show. It lowered the balance due by $800 and replaced tools, including a staple gun, the family said was missing from the basement.

Later, Erika Marold said, her father said he didn't understand why they replaced the whole pipe rather than dig up and splice in a new section at the blockage location.

"This was a very uncomfortable experience that left all of us concerned and suspicious of A.J. Perri's true intentions with a 94-year-old man and his bank account," Christina Margold said.

THE UP-SELL

While sales scripts, commissions and bonuses for salespeople are not unusual, the former and current employees say -- and documents show -- the company gives incentives to up-sell what could be a simple service call.

For example, one internal email explained a contest for "sales leads," while another told employees to pay special attention to routine service calls.

An employee said the goal of routine service visits "is to find as much as possible wrong with the heating or cooling system that the tech gets a heating and cooling salesman in the home to price out a new system."

Technicians receive a $75 bonus each time they secure appointments for salespeople to come with additional diagnostic tests, two employees said. The salespeople are then incentivized to sell more expensive work, they said, noting that repair jobs are regularly priced high so replacing an entire system appears to make more financial sense to the customer. Customer accounts support that allegation.

This is the sales script found in an A.J. Perri "Plumbing Price Book" inadvertently left by an employee at a customer's home. A.J. Perri Plumbing Price Book

One customer shared with Bamboozled an A.J. Perri "Plumbing Price Book" that was inadvertently left at the customer's home by a company employee in December 2014.

It included a script for salespeople, who are paid on commission, to write up six options for consumers.

"The 1st one is what I would do if it was my house and money was no object," the script instructed salespeople to say.

The script's authenticity was verified by one former and one current employee.

An internal email shows employees are encouraged to give special attention to routine maintenance calls.

An employee said the goal of service visits "is to find as much as possible wrong with the heating or cooling system that the tech gets a heating and cooling salesman in the home to price out a new system."

Kevin Perri, the company president, said when the company performs an in-depth inspection, its duty is to diagnose problems but also to warn about issues that may arise in the future. That's why reps, who he said undergo background checks and drug-testing prior to being hired, and who are required to "participate in mandatory ethics and senior-sensitivity training," present so many options, he said.

One current and one former and employee disputed this, saying there has never been ethics or senior-sensitivity training before last week.

In his statement, Perri also said:

"If you call us to fix your leaky pipe or repair your furnace that isn't heating, but we don't also tell you that you should consider replacing your worn-out water heater or upgrade to an energy efficient AC unit to save money on your utility bills, we would have done you a disservice," Perri said. "That is why we provide our customers with a comprehensive diagnosis and repair options to address the problem they are experiencing, as well as long-term replacement options to prevent bigger issues from occurring or to make their home more energy efficient."

Perri didn't address sales incentives when asked.

"Incentives to sell are very clear," a current employee said, confirming the internal emails were authentic. "Salesmen are on a straight commission structure, so even if they are being sent to a house with a brand new sewer, they are expected to close some sort of sale or problem."

OTHER PRACTICES

Some customers said A.J. Perri recommended expensive work that was later deemed unnecessary by other professionals called in for second estimates.

Brittany Sesulka said she called A.J. Perri to her Hillsborough home when she and her husband couldn't clear a toilet clog in September 2014.

From left, Jack Sesulka, 1, Patrick Sesulka, Chase Sesulka, 3, and Brittany Sesulka, at home in Hillsborough. They said A.J. Perri came to unclog a toilet in 2014, but the technician said the couple had mud in a sewer line. The couple asked a contractor friend to give a second opinion, and he said there was no problem with the line and cleared the clog for $60, they said. Keith Muccilli/For NJ Advance Media

The rep, Sesulka said, decided it was a bigger problem. He would send another guy with a camera to examine the sewer line.

"The other guy came with the camera and it was the most dramatic thing I'd ever seen," Sesulka said. "He talked like it was a war scene. He was snaking and said, 'Wait! There's mud in the line!"

The rep said there was definitely a crack, and the fix would cost about $8,000, Sesulka said.

"Lucky for us, we had a friend who was in construction," she said. "He came and snaked it and we never had another issue with it. He said there was no mud in the line."

The cost for the fix? $60.

Avital Spiegel said her 85-year-old father, a widower with Alzheimer's disease, hired A.J. Perri in 2014 to do annual service calls at his home.

One day, Spiegel said, she learned her dad had an appointment for a salesman to discuss the replacement of his heating and air conditioning systems. While the systems were old, Spiegel said, they both worked just fine.

Spiegel said her brother was there for the appointment and he explained his dad didn't need any new equipment.

Her brother asked for any sales calls to stop, saying their dad suffered from Alzheimer's, Spiegel said.

But a month or two later, Spiegel said, she called her dad when A.J. Perri was at the house. Her father said he had agreed to an $8,000 job for the heat and air systems. He paid $2,000, and the rest was to be financed, she said.

She said she felt the company took advantage of her father.

Spiegel said she called the company to complain, and within a week, the company agreed to return the $2,000 and forgive the rest of the bill.

Consumers can file complaints with Consumer Affairs online or by calling (973) 504-6200. We'll keep you posted on any state investigations that follow.

Have you been Bamboozled? Reach Karin Price Mueller at Bamboozled@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KPMueller. Find Bamboozled on Facebook. Mueller is also the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Stay informed and sign up for NJMoneyHelp.com's weekly e-newsletter.

Seven of eight area schools have advanced to the sectionals which start Feb. 6.

Here are the tentative NJSIAA wrestling final power point rankings for sections involving local teams through matches of Jan. 28, the cutoff date for qualification for the NJSIAA Team Tournament.

The top eight teams in each section qualify for the state team tourney which begins Feb. 6.

The rankings reflect each team’s top 10 matches (as determined by power points only).

Only a team's top 10 matches power point-wise are reflected. Final pairings will be determined by adding missing matches and taking head-to-head results into account. Teams may only move up one spot (ahead of the team directly ahead) as a results of adjustments (as in North 2 Group 3 where Cranford owns a win over Warren Hills).

In case of ties, tie breakers are head-to-head results, overall power ranking (including all matches), wins and losses of common opponents, and teams’ overall winning percentage. If still tied, the seeding committee will vote.

Pairings will be official Tuesday morning at the tournament seeding meeting for the tournament at NJSIAA headquarters.

North 2
Group 1                                Group 2
Bound Brook 9- 5 36.30        Hanover Park 12- 3 33.30
Cedar Grove 7-10 30.10        Caldwell 13- 2 30.70
Roselle Park 15- 4 27.80       Garfield 15- 6 29.20
Verona 11- 7 27.60               Lenape Valley 7-11 28.90
Hasbrouck Hts 11- 7 27.60    Hackettstown 9-10 27.20
Belvidere 9- 9 26.80          Ridgefield Park 13- 8 26.60
Whippany Park 11- 6 26.60   Parsippany 4- 7 26.60
Secaucus 7-12 24.90            Madison 6- 8 24.30
Glen Ridge 8- 5 24.70           Lodi 3-15 21.50
Becton 6- 7 24.60                Mountain Lakes 4- 8 20.50
New Providence 2-13 22.40  Fort Lee 4-10 19.00
Newark C. 2-13 17.10          Rutherford 1-13 17.70
Wood-Ridge 1-11 16.70       Manchester Reg. 1-16 17.20
Weequahic 0- 8 13.75          Dover 1-11 16.90
Shabazz 0- 3 11.00

Group 3                              Group 4
Warren Hills 10- 8 35.40  Phillipsburg 10- 1 39.80
Cranford 16- 0 35.30           Middletown North 19- 1 36.70
Passaic Valley 12- 5 31.80   North Hunterdon 13- 5 33.50
Rahway 12- 2 28.00            Woodbridge 12- 7 30.30
West Essex 5-11 27.60        Scotch Plains-Fanwo 12- 8 27.80
Nutley 7- 9 27.00                Middletown South 13- 8 27.00
Gov. Livingston 9- 9 26.20  Colonia 10- 5 26.50
Irvington 11- 2 26.10          Montgomery 10- 5 25.80
Cliffside Park 10- 7 26.10    Sayreville 10- 8 25.80
Lyndhurst 9- 8 25.90          Kennedy (Iselin) 5-11 25.20
Orange 7-12 24.20             Princeton 4-12 24.00
Brearley 7- 8 24.00            Linden 5- 7 23.00
Chatham 2-11 20.70          Millburn 6-11 22.10
Parsippany H. 3-10 18.30   Summit 1-16 20.20

Central Group 2

Delaware Valley 16-2 37.30
Raritan 21-2 35.20
Voorhees 13-6 31.70
Point Pleasant Boro 11-5 28.40
Middlesex 18-2 27.60
Holmdel 16-9 27.20
Bernards 13-5 26.90
Robbinsville 10-6 26.90
Manasaquan 4-15 24.60
Rumson Fair Haven 7-5 23.70
North Plainfield 4-12 23.50
Spotswood 3-12 23.00
Monmouth Regional 0-18 21.30
AL Johnson 1-17 19.10

North 1 Group 1

Kittatinny Regional 12- 4 35.00
Butler 11- 2 29.50
Pompton Lakes 16- 4 28.50
New Milford 11-10 26.40
Hawthorne 9- 6 26.20
Saddle Brook 11- 7 26.10
Bogota/Weehawken 10-11 25.80
Boonton 8- 6 25.70
Elmwood Park 8- 8 25.30
Cresskill 8-10 25.30
Kinnelon 5- 9 24.60
Wallkill Valley Reg 5-12 23.70
North Warren 3- 9 22.90
Leonia 5-14 20.80
Hopatcong 2-13 19.50

Brad Wilson may be reached at bwilson@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradwsports. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.

The Stateliners and Terriers are top-10 squads.

The Red Rovers have won three straight vs. the Stateliners.

Easton Area High School's girls basketball team defeated an underdog Phillipsburg side 49-44 on Monday night.

Follow the links below for coverage of the rivalry clash:

Rapid Recap: Easton girls basketball team holds off Phillipsburg

Easton girls basketball survives clash with underdog Phillipsburg

Phillipsburg girls basketball reveals resolve in clash with Easton

Kyle Craig may be reached at kcraig@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KyleCraigSports. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.

The Red Rovers' game-winning three came from a freshman with eight seconds left.

The Easton boys basketball team turned to a freshman in the clutch Monday night as Ryan Boylan's game-winning 3-pointer with eight seconds left secured a 52-50 win over Phillipsburg.

Follow the links below for full coverage:

Freshman, seniors deliver alike as Easton boys hoops bounces P’burg

Phillipsburg boys hoops follows season’s biggest win with crushing loss

WATCH: Easton's Boylan nails game-winning 3 in wild finish at P'burg

Easton boys basketball knocks off P'burg with late heroics

Greg Joyce may be reached at gjoyce@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @GJoyce9. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.

The sophomore finished in 7.13 seconds.

Phillipsburg sophomore Sydney Hawkins set a Skyland Conference indoor record when she won the 55-meter dash in 7.13 seconds at Saturday's meet at the Jersey City Armory.

Hawkins had held the record at 7.34 as a freshman.

The Stateliners' Jessica Manners and Ayanna Paige tied for third at 7.55 seconds.

On the Phillipsburg boys' side John Martin won the 55-meter high hurdles in a FAT-meet record 7.76 seconds. Cooper Bertoldo was second in the pole vault, which took place at Hunterdon Central.

Brad Wilson may be reached at bwilson@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradwsports. Find Lehigh Valley high school sports on Facebook.

The window to submit an application is short.

Anyone who wants to be Phillipsburg's next school superintendent had better get their resume together quickly.

The position was added to the job listings on the school district's website Friday, and it says applications will be accepted by this Friday or until a suitable candidate is found. The post becomes available July 1.

The job has belonged to George Chando since 2012, who that year agreed to a five-year contract that expires June 30 of this year. Chando has had a long career in Phillipsburg, which included time as the high school principal.

Phillipsburg School District Superintendent George Chando says a few words during a dedication ceremony for the new Phillipsburg High School on September 21, 2016. (Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com) During his five years, he oversaw the completion of a new $127.5 million high school in Lopatcong Township. Gov. Chris Christie personally praised the school as possibly the state's most modern during its dedication last fall.

Chando's contract called for a $167,500 annual salary. The job listing says the next superintendent's salary will be based on education, experience and state regulations.

Candidates should be eligible for or already hold certification as a school administrator, with experience in a central school office.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.