Brick Attorney Indicted in Toms River Hit-and-Run
John Koufos obstructed a police investigation into collision that injured teen, indictment states
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A Brick attorney faces multiple criminal charges after obstructing a police investigation into a June 17 hit-and-run collision in Toms River, Ocean County grand jurors charged in an indictment.
John G. Koufos was indicted Thursday on charges of obscuring his role in the collision that injured a Pennsylvania teen who was walking on Route 35 that summer night. Koufos, of Koufos and Norgaard, with offices in Long Branch and New Brunswick, had one of his employees lie and say he was driving the 2011 Lexus that sent Kevin O’Brien, 17, of Newtown, Pa. to Jersey Shore University Medical Center with serious injuries, authorities have said.
Koufos, an Ohio Avenue resident, faces the following charges: aggravated assault, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident, hindering apprehension or prosecution, witness tampering and obstructing the administration of law.
Authorities initially charged fellow Brick resident Craig Terlizzi in the hit-and-run after he came forward to take responsibility for the collision. However, a week later, Ocean County authorities dropped charges against Terlizzi after an investigation revealed Koufos was behind the wheel, authorities have said.
“Our investigation now reveals Mr. Terlizzi’s statements in connection with that investigation were false, and made with the intent of shielding his employer, attorney John Koufos, from responsibility for the accident,” Ocean County Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford said in June.
Terlizzi was charged with hindering a police investigation by giving false information to law enforcement.
The night of the collision, witnesses reported seeing a black vehicle speed away in the northbound lanes of Route 35 on the barrier island after striking the teen, Toms River Police Chief Michael Mastronardy said at the time. Koufos' car was later found on Downer Avenue in Mantoloking with its windshield smashed from the impact, police said.
The indictment alleges Koufos struck the teen, sped off, and abandoned the car before interfering with the police probe by influencing Terlizzi's statements to authorities.
Authorities have also said that Koufos may have been in the area attending an Ocean County Bar Association dinner at Gabriella’s restaurant in Toms River's Ortley Beach section that night.
Koufos remains free on $75,000 bail, which forbids any contact with Terlizzi.
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5:23 pm on Friday, November 4, 2011
Terlizzi should be right there with Koufos. He went along with it!
Martin
8:42 pm on Friday, November 4, 2011
Throw the book at this creep of a lawyer! He knows the laws and he flouted them -- taking his employee down with him. The heartless shark left a kid bleeding on the pavement and sped off into the night, maybe because he was drunk. (How ironic -- Koufos was at a Bar Assn. function!) The soon-to-be-disbarred barrister was indicted on everything but DUI, but the other egregious crimes come with jail time. HOORAY!
Mark Story Jenks
12:08 am on Saturday, November 5, 2011
I hope justice is truely served in this case.
concerned citizen
10:42 am on Saturday, November 5, 2011
I do NOT agree with No Name because Terlizzi was probably afraid of losing his job if he did not go along with what his boss said. IF he goes to jail, maybe they will give him a legal pad and a pencil and he can write a million times...."I will not drive drunk,"
GaryR
11:33 am on Saturday, November 5, 2011
What happened to the young man that was involved? I haven't read anything about his condition other than quotes of "sent Kevin O’Brien, 17, of Newtown, Pa. to Jersey Shore University Medical Center with serious injuries"....how is he doing now?
As for the Koufos...now you can see why lawyers get a bad reputation. Talk about a heartless & selfish move in leaving that poor kid laying on the street after being hit so hard that his body smashed the windshield! Imagine if that was a deserted area and this a-hole did this, there could have been a homicide involved. He put his career before someone's life...lock him up and throw away the key!
BW
2:42 pm on Saturday, November 5, 2011
I am glad this guy was indicted. He should go to jail. Too bad the prosecutor didnt send the Biffa case to a grand jury.
Bud Boomer
10:11 pm on Saturday, November 5, 2011
Shame on that guy for trying to cover up the crime by lying and I hope justice is served in this case, He was a lawyer, He damn sure should have known better.
David Daur
12:41 pm on Saturday, December 10, 2011
What, if any charges will come against Gabriella's for serving him too much alcohol? Oh, that's right the owner is connected with the Prosecutor's office. Case closed...
GaryR
12:48 pm on Saturday, December 10, 2011
Before you go "Conspiracy Theory" on the place...what if they flagged him for being intoxicated and then his Lawyer buddies went to the open bar and got him a few more drinks. Should you sue the pants off of the place anyway?
Martin
9:35 am on Sunday, December 11, 2011
"Oh, that's right the owner is connected with the Prosecutor's office. Case closed..." This whole case is infested with too many lawyers. I can just imagine all the conniving that's going on to get their pal off the hook for almost killing someone.
1stcav
11:39 am on Sunday, December 11, 2011
Judges and Lawyers stick together , just like the Boys in Blue..Local and State try to protect there own so they can lower the boom on John Q Public and set an example by you/me getting the maximum sentence...look @ the DWI Trooper, the shop lifting Cop , the Trooper who killed two sisters w / being over tired because he just returned from vacation ! On & On...There are on the other hand those who will/do give there own tickets and are harassed by their own for doing so...so called Hot Dogs...too strict..doesn't outweigh the above...
Martin
11:51 am on Sunday, December 11, 2011
Sadly, that is so true. Even the trial judge will try to give this low-life lawyer a break. That's why we all have to scrutinize the case and hope somehow John Koufos gets the MAXIMUM sentence -- so he can be an example for other drunken would-be killers who run away from a body in the street and try to coerce an employee take the rap for him.
ElizabethM55
11:43 am on Thursday, February 2, 2012
This guy had better lose his license to practice law- forever. And....serve significant jail time.
George
9:42 pm on Thursday, February 2, 2012
Amen! Bubba from the next cell likes lawyers.
Jude
6:17 pm on Tuesday, March 27, 2012
How about but for the grace of god there goes you or I? Do you people realize that at least three lives are devastated. Was the lawyer wrong? Absolutely. But we are only human and we all make mistakes. How about a little compassion people?
Martin
8:57 pm on Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Compassion? Are you his girlfriend or wife? The traffic "accident" was bad enough (I wonder how much he drank at the BAR Assn.). But then the heartless shark left a kid bleeding on the pavement and sped off into the night. Next, he coerced his employee into lying and taking the rap for him. Throw the book at this creep of a lawyer! He knows the laws and he flouted them -- taking his employee down with him. The soon-to-be-disbarred barrister was indicted on everything but DUI, but the other egregious crimes come with jail time. HOORAY! I have compassion for the poor hit-and-run victim, not Koufos.
Erin Larangeira
7:54 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012
I think Mr koufos made a mistake I know first hand he is not heartless , he is human and I'm sure he felt scared and was concerned about the person he hit , sometimes we do wrong with no intention of it and don't think about the right thing to do in the few seconds you have to think let's all admit just becouse your a lawyer ,doctor, judge etc doesn't mean that there any better then a cleaner, store clerk get my point Mr koufos helped many people and I'm am possitive he does care for the man he hurt and his employee , he will make his wrong right that what he is human . Erin L
David Daur
9:12 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012
Erin, you're an idiot and this lawyer is a scumbag! Can you really believe what you're saying? I personally don't know anybody who would leave the scene of a hit and run (not an accident) where another human being was seriously injured. I pray one of your family members meets the same fate as this poor victim, then let's see if you feel the same way. Most people don't need to think about the right thing to do, they just do it because that's how they live their life. This scumbag should be disbarred for life... end of story!