A lawsuit filed in Kosciusko County Circuit Court claims a Fort Wayne man caused damages of more than $400,000 to a fireworks business based in Warsaw.
The lawsuit, filed by Linda and Spencer McOscar, claims that Brandon Heller, Fort Wayne, with the help of his girlfriend and her father, stole merchandise from a store in Fort Wayne that the McOscars recently opened.The suit claims Heller was an employee of the McOscars.
The McOscars - who live in Ohio and operate fireworks stores in Warsaw, North Webster and Fort Wayne - filed two complaints with the Fort Wayne Police Department over the summer.
FWPD Public Information Officer Mike Joyner said that criminal charges weren't pursued against Heller because it involved people who were in business together and therefore it constituted a civil matter.
A representative with the Allen County Prosecutor's Office reiterated Joyner's assertion that criminal charges weren't filed solely based on the fact Heller and the McOscars were business partners.
The lawsuit also claims that Heller has commited racketeering.
A phone message left for Heller by the Times-Union wasn't returned as of this morning.
