Radio personality jailed after missing area appearances
A prankster featured on the Howard Stern show is in Montgomery County prison, accused of deceiving area bar owners out of money.
North Wales resident Thomas Cipriano, the Howard Stern show's popular prank phone caller whose moniker is Captain Janks, is in jail for taking money from bar owners in Bucks and Montgomery counties to perform and then never showing up for the comedy gigs.
Cipriano, of North Third Street, is accused of pocketing $350 advances from the Indian Rock Inn in Nockamixon and the Old Mansion House Bar & Grill in Plymouth and then disappearing.
The 43-year-old also reportedly ripped off the Edge Hill Tavern in Cheltenham and the Landslide Restaurant & Saloon in Bethlehem Township, N.J.
Court records say Cipriano, who has billed himself as "The Howard Stern Show's King of Phoney Phone Calls," was committed to Montgomery County Prison on Thursday on $2,500 bail. He remained there Tuesday.
A message on Cipriano's Web site, captainjanks.tk, says he canceled his planned 2009 tour because of medical and personal issues.
The message says he has been to rehab.
Cipriano also apologized to fans and nightclubs in the Web site note, saying he plans to reschedule shows or refund deposit money.
Documents state that Cipriano took a $350 advance in October from the owner of the Indian Rock Inn as part of a contract for him to perform on Nov. 28.
One hour before his scheduled 9 p.m. show, Cipriano called the inn and requested the show be postponed until Dec. 6.
The North Wales man claimed he had not had time to promote the event properly.
The inn obliged. But the following week Cipriano never showed, and the inn has not heard from Cipriano since, according to records. The $350 check was cashed in October.
Cipriano did essentially the same thing to the Old Mansion House, police said.
After taking a $350 check that was supposed to help pay for promotional fees in December, Cipriano never turned up at the scheduled March 13 gig at the Plymouth bar, documents state.
He also never called to cancel.
Cipriano got the show, in part, by telling the Old Mansion's owner that he would promote the bar on Howard Stern's satellite radio show, said records.
Charges against Cipriano include theft by deception and receiving stolen property.
He has a preliminary hearing scheduled Thursday in Conshohocken district court and faces a May 4 appearance in Ottsville district court.
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