Man posed as fictitious blind twin brother in attempt to avoid traffic tickets

Olawale Agoro told court officials in New Jersey they had the wrong man. His name was “Tony,” and it was his twin brother who had racked up several traffic tickets. He used that excuse repeatedly - with a municipal court judge and several court clerks - until police discovered that “Tony” didn’t exist. “This is just another example of the extremes people will go to escape justice,” Rochelle Park Police Chief Robert Flannelly said on Friday. The chief said the court has seen family members of those with summonses coming in on their relative’s behalf to try to get new court dates. “This guy was actually coming in on his own” to have his court date postponed, Flannelly said.

Agoro, of Hackensack, now faces charges of hindering apprehension, false swearing and resisting arrest. The alleged rouse started on July 31, when Maywood Police Officer Matthew Parodi pulled over the 58-year-old Agoro and issued him five motor vehicle summonses, Maywood Police Chief David Pegg said. When he appeared in Maywood Municipal Court on Sept. 19, he identified himself as “Tony,” and said that he was legally blind, Pegg said. But Parodi was in the courtroom. “He knew that that was the same individual that he stopped,” said Pegg, who added that the officer also observed Agoro walking around and passing papers back and forth with courtroom officials without difficulty. After court, Parodi was told that Agoro was asking strangers in the parking lot to drive his car around the corner.
Parodi then saw a good Samaritan drive Agoro and his car around the block and Agoro then take over as driver, Pegg said. Parodi pulled Agoro over again, issuing three more traffic tickets, Pegg said. The car also was impounded that afternoon. Agoro admitted that he was not blind so he could retrieve his vehicle, but Maywood police have asked the Motor Vehicle Commission to evaluate Agoro’s claim, Pegg said. At first, Agoro went to Rochelle Park Municipal Court and requested a later court date, which he missed. He then went to the court clerks on two later occasions, again pretending he was “Tony” and begging the clerks to grant adjournments for his twin brother, Flannelly said. “Tony” claimed that Agoro was in Nigeria mourning the death of their father.
The clerks granted the two adjournments. But after Agoro missed a court date again on Wednesday, the township’s municipal court judge issued warrants for his arrest, Flannelly said. Agoro appeared in court the next day, but once again claimed he was “Tony.” That’s when the clerks called township police, Flannelly said. Detective James DePreta and Officer Ken Stapleton questioned Agoro about “Tony.” But the Hackensack man was unable to produce identification. Police then matched a birth mark under his lip on his driver’s licence photo of Agoro to the man who was claiming to be “Tony,” and a fingerprint scan proved that “Tony” did not exist. The officers arrested Agoro, who at first resisted, Flannelly said. He was sent to Bergen County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail, with no option to pay 10 percent of that to secure his release.