Jeff, this fellow is in New Jersey, no? Jersey has a criminal "theft by deception" statute. Skip the civil suit and meet with a local police detective, swear out a warrant, and have him arrested for stealing from you. Trust me, that's more leverage than nagging them and the judge can always order restitution, usually on a conditional basis (meaning they stay out of jail if they pay you back the money). Quit screwing around and do it this week.
