The alleged thief who impersonated another man at his arraignment, then walked out of the courtroom a free man, was found last night in midtown Manhattan. What’s more, officials say 35-year-old Freddie Thomson—who should have faced charges for armed robbery, but instead pleaded guilty to marijuana possession—was not solely at fault. According to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly an officer failed to "adequately check the identification of the prisoner." He added that "There was a mistake made here. There's no question about it."
Aware that Jermaine Gavins was facing lesser charges, Thompson assumed the 29-year-old’s identity when his turn came to take the stand at a Staten Island court. After he was sentenced to time served and released no one realized the mistake until Gavin asked when his turn would come.
Cops are supposed to match a prisoner’s face to his/her photograph before arraignment, but defense lawyer Allen Cappelli says the pictures are no help. According to the Advance he contends that the NYPD's creaky old printers produce only grainy black-and-white images; "modern, color printers’ are needed.” Another recent arraignment identity swap involved a man suspected of domestic violence and assaulting a police officer, who escaped from a Bronx court by impersonating a man accused of driving with a suspended license.
