Three New Jersey Men Charged in Upper Saddle River Arson‑For‑Hire Case

On a sweltering Friday afternoon in May 2025, the tranquil streets of Upper Saddle River were shattered by the sight of thick, black smoke billowing from a six‑bedroom, $1.5 million home at 18 Lake Road. Firefighters from the town and neighboring municipalities arrived quickly, but the blaze had already done its worst – the house, perched on an acre of manicured land, was declared a total loss.

At first, investigators could only label the cause as “undetermined.” It wasn’t until the spring of 2026, when the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Arson Squad got a tip from Rumson Police, that the story began to change. A deeper look uncovered a disturbing plot: two men from Rumson had allegedly been paid to torch the property.

According to the prosecution, 54‑year‑old Anthony V. Coviello and 62‑year‑old Joseph Vulpis, both residents of Rumson, were approached by 66‑year‑old Emad E. Gerges, a Upper Saddle River homeowner. Gerges is accused of hiring the pair to set the house on fire, using an accelerant and a homemade ignitor to start the flames in the attic.

The alleged scheme unfolded late at night. Coviello and Vulpis supposedly broke into the vacant home, doused parts of the attic with the accelerant, and then triggered the makeshift ignitor, ensuring a rapid, uncontrolled blaze. Their actions, investigators say, turned a simple fire into a full‑scale inferno that wiped out a $1.5 million property in minutes.

Legal proceedings moved quickly. On Oct. 2, Coviello was taken into custody at his home, while Vulpis turned himself in at the Englishtown Police Department. Both men now face a stack of charges: first‑degree arson for hire, aggravated arson, conspiracy to commit aggravated arson, simple arson, criminal mischief, and failure to control or report a fire.

Two weeks later, authorities tracked down Gerges. He was charged with first‑degree arson for hire and conspiracy to commit aggravated arson, linking him directly to the alleged hiring of the Rumson duo.

All three defendants have made their initial appearances before the Bergen County Superior Court. The judge released them on their own recognizance, but the case is far from over. Prosecutors say the evidence – including surveillance footage, witness statements, and forensic analysis of the accelerant – points to a premeditated act of arson‑for‑hire.

The tragedy has rippled through the community. Upper Saddle River, a town of roughly 8,300 residents where the median home value hovers around $1.4 million, rarely sees crime of this magnitude. Residents are left grappling with the loss of a neighboring home and the unsettling notion that someone could orchestrate such destruction for personal reasons.

As the investigation continues, officials urge anyone with further information to come forward. The case underscores the seriousness with which New Jersey law enforcement treats arson‑for‑hire, especially when it threatens the safety and property of some of the state’s most affluent neighborhoods.