A Monmouth County resident has admitted guilt to charges of motor vehicle theft and witness tampering following an investigation into the unauthorized sale of a borrowed Mercedes, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Jaquel Accoo, 29, of Wall, entered his guilty plea before Superior Court Judge David M. Fritch on charges related to the October 2023 incident, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced Tuesday.
The case began when a Toms River resident reported their Mercedes stolen on October 14, 2023, to Toms River police. Authorities discovered that Accoo had borrowed the vehicle but failed to return it as agreed. Further investigation revealed Accoo had sold the Mercedes to a buyer in Georgia, leading to theft charges being filed against him on November 22, 2023.
Accoo was apprehended on January 22, 2024, in Red Bank by the New York/New Jersey United States Marshals Service Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Warrants Division. Following his arrest, he was held in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing, after which he was released under New Jersey Bail Reform guidelines.
The additional charge of witness tampering stemmed from allegations that Accoo attempted to bribe another individual, encouraging them to provide false information to law enforcement during the investigation, authorities said.
Accoo is scheduled to be sentenced on January 3, with prosecutors seeking a five-year prison term for each charge, to be served concurrently.