WATCH VIDEO OF LYLE UNGER, JR. AND EDWARD ZAPENCKI: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZN7w2ol3f0

Niles businesses solicited recently by a map business sales representative may not need to worry — unless he doesn’t follow through with his promises.
The Kenosha, Wis.-based Fun Treasure Maps representative told the Star during an interview Monday that his name is “Edward Zapanski;” however, online news reports and one local business have reported his name is “Edward Zapencki.”
Niles resident Lyle Unger, Jr. contacted the Star after the representative solicited his girlfriend’s parents, Kenny and Mary Duncan, owners of Kozy Kitchen, 110 North Front St., on Saturday. The Duncans were initially going to purchase a spot on the treasure map, which is a cartoon-like map game that highlights local businesses. Advertising starts at $150.
Unger searched hotel parking lots for a tan Buick Rendezvous with Wisconsin license plates until he discovered that Zapencki was staying at the Niles Inn.
Zapencki said Monday that he is the owner and sole employee of Fun Treasure Maps, and that previous employees had scammed him out of money, including John “Montana” Assenza, who allegedly embezzled $25,000 from him for drugs before he died. An obituary in the Orlando Sentinel confirmed he died in May 2010.
“I’ve never stolen money from anybody,” said Zapencki, who has owned the business for about 20 years.
Zapencki said it takes about eight to 10 weeks to sell a map. Niles area businesses should see the product in the first week of April, he said. He produces about four maps per year around the country.
Zapencki said he sold advertising to about 20 to 25 businesses in Niles and other communities in Berrien County. He was in the Niles area about five or six years ago and was returning to update his map, Zapencki claimed. He left the hotel Monday and said he did not know where he was going next.
“I never know where I’m going to go,” he said.
According to The Business Journal in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Department of Justice alleges that Zapencki violated the state’s consumer protection laws and had a special order issued against him in 2007.
A civil complaint stated that Zapencki often fails to deliver the maps when promised, if at all. The complaint said that in October 2010, Zapencki hadn’t delivered maps promised for 2008 and 2009. Businesses from Wisconsin and northern Illinois are included in the complaint.
According to The Business Journal, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection issued a special order in 2007 requiring Zapencki to notify each consumer that maps would be delivered within 15 months or the customer would receive a full refund.
Zapencki’s appearance in Niles is not his first in Berrien County. The Coloma Township police chief issued an advisory cautioning area businesses to “do their homework and investigate,” the Herald-Palladium in St. Joseph reported Sept. 27.
Coloma Township Police Chief Randel Pompey said that at least one business owner had been approached by Zapencki, the H-P reports.
A detective with the Kenosha Police Department said Monday he has never heard of Zapencki or his business.
According to Niles Chief James Millin, Zapencki had been promising Niles businesses an April delivery.
“From what we can tell right now, we can’t say he’s not a legitimate businessman … I’m not real familiar with this map,” Millin said Monday. “Certainly it was brought to our attention he was being investigated in Illinois. They didn’t have anything to substantiate any charges.”
The map from four or five years ago that Zapencki presented to Niles police — the “Berrien Springs County” map — shows legitimate Niles businesses. Zapencki explained that the map’s name was part of a game; it was not incorrect.
“Obviously, he has been here before,” Millin said. “There were 40, 50 businesses on this map.
“We’ve told a lot of the concerned businesses here in town … if he fails to follow through or produce what he says he is going to produce, that then they can contact us,” Millin said. “I think he is getting a bad rap anyway on something on the internet.”
The chief said that if Zapencki doesn’t hold up his end of the bargain, the NPD could prosecute it as a fraud case on behalf of the businesses. It could also be tried as a civil case because it would involve a contract between two businesses.
“We can’t do that unless he doesn’t hold up his end of the bargain,” Millin said. “I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”