Picsalive review: Warning regarding pics alive studios (Thornhill, Ontario)

I have a dear friend who entered into a business agreement with Ari Momeni, owner of Pics Alive Studios at Promenade Mall in Thornhill, Ontario. He paid $6,599 for services that were never delivered.
What made this worse: Ari instructed my friend to wire the payment to a third party's personal bank account — not his business account. When I asked why, he said it was "for a house closing." This turned out to be false.
After the agreement fell apart, my friend requested a full refund. Ari has refused to return the money for over a year. He avoids phone calls, does not respond to written demands, and has made no effort to resolve this.
My friend has filed a court lawsuit and soon will be submitting a formal police report with York Regional Police regarding this matter. I am posting this so that other potential customers are aware of how this business operates.
If you are considering doing business with Pics Alive Studios or Ari Momeni, I strongly recommend getting everything in writing, never paying to a personal account, and verifying all claims before sending money.