Former owner of Arlington Pizzeria charged with defrauding dozens of customers

The former owner of a local pizzeria has been arrested for defrauding dozens of customers over the last couple of years.

Police say Elvan Kocak would overcharge customers by hundreds of dollars for simple orders while he owned Celino’s Pizza.

The restaurant was purchased by Benjamin Lovick and his wife, who are trying to repair its damaged reputation.

“Everybody that comes in here has something to say about how I was charged, or a friend of mine was charged,” said Lovick.

This is an update to an ongoing story Action News Jax has been covering since last year, when customers first brought us their complaints.

Following those initial complaints, Kocak told us customers were being overcharged because of problems with the credit card vendor.

But according to a 15-page arrest report we obtained on Tuesday, Kocak told Secret Service agents he had a lot of debt from the business and gambling.

He allegedly had his employees purchase and send money grams to Costa Rica to pay off the gambling debt.

Those who know him say there’s no one he wouldn’t ask for help.

“Elvan came and found me at Cesery Park and offered me ten dollars to send some money for him,” said Tyler Strunk, who is homeless. “Now I feel like I’m guilty of a crime.”

Kocak wouldn’t agree to a recorded interview, but told us there was a story behind the charges. When we asked to hear it, he said he planned to hire a lawyer.

Meanwhile, Lovick has changed the name of the restaurant to “Foreign Benji’s Restaurant and Pizzeria.”

Lovick says the menu is expanding, and there will be a Grand Opening event on New Year’s Eve.

“My headache is just trying to get my customers to come back,” he said.

Cox Media Group