NJ Man Promised Underground 'Survival Shelters,' And Never Delivered

Cranbury Township, NJ - Alfred Demola promised people he would build them underground survival shelters — as long as they paid him first.

He tried to find customers in New Jersey, state prosecutors say and, when that failed, traveled to Virginia and West Virginia, where he ran TV ads aggressively marketing the shelters and his company, Titan Shelters, LLC.

He found some willing buyers, and people paid him tens of thousands of dollars for the shelters, which he claimed were built in a manufacturing facility in Cranbury Township.

He took their cash and then never delivered, prosecutors charge.

Three furious customers filed a complaint with the state Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) in March of last year, which launched a nearly year-long investigation into his doomsday business.

Demola personally traveled to Virginia and West Virginia to meet with prospective clients, DCA investigators learned. He had them sign contracts for the purchase and installation of the survival shelters. He then left and never returned to do the digging, or building.

His Cranbury warehouse never existed, they learned.

On Tuesday, Demola and the state Attorney General reached a settlement.

He must pay $177,373, which includes $71,800 in restitution to be paid to the three consumers who filed complaints with the Division. Titan Shelters is also forbidden from doing any home construction jobs in New Jersey again.

“Demola was marketing products to people who were anticipating a disaster, and with Demola, they got a disaster,” Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said.

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