Contractor Stole From West Windsor Residents, Indicted: Prosecutor

WEST WINDSOR, NJ — A Matawan man was indicted Tuesday on third-degree theft and other charges after taking money from residents and not completing home improvement work, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief Raymond Hayducka said.

Olcay "OJ" Darkanat, 61, was indicted on 10 counts of third-degree theft, and one count of second-degree misconduct by a Corporate Official. His two companies, Narrowing Construction, LLC. and Eagle Eye Home Remodeling, LLC were also named.

Darkanat stole $250,000 from homeowners over a span of seven years, according to investigators.

The six-month investigation uncovered cases from residents in East Windsor, West Windsor, South Brunswick, Monroe, and Marlboro, Ciccone said.

Darkanat stole money from homeowners and used business in Monmouth and Ocean Counties to conceal the crimes, Ciccone said.

Darkanat would visit homes, provide an estimate for repairs and take an initial down payment. He would then provide minimal work and disappear, Ciccone said.

Sometimes he would have subcontractors do work on a home, but they would leave when he failed to pay them, authorities said. The houses were left in disrepair and much of the work failed inspection.

After civil suits were filed, Darkanat changed companies to Eagle Eye Home Remodeling and had homeowners make out checks directly to him, Ciccone said.

Darkanat would ignore homeowners' attempts to locate him or would flee the country, according to authorities.

Anastasia Kokinos, an investigator from the Middlesex County Division of Consumer Affairs and South Brunswick Detective Bryan Sites began working on the cases in September 2022.

The cases were brought to the Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Russell Curley who presented them to a Middlesex County Grand Jury.

Darkanat remains at large and investigators continue to pursue leads to locate him, Ciccone said.

Chief Hayducka praised Kokinos and Sites for their teamwork in the case.

“We heard from multiple victims who felt helpless that this man took their money and fled,” Hayducka said. “I want to thank Investigator Kokinos, Detective Sites, and Assistant Prosecutor Curley for all their hard work.”

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