Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announces that 38-year-old Howard M. Scholl, III of Town of Tonawanda pleaded guilty this morning before Erie County Court Judge Susan Eagan to one count of Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree (Class “A” misdemeanor).

On Saturday, January 19, 2019, at approximately 11:50 p.m., the defendant, an officer with the Town of Tonawanda Police Department who was off-duty at the time of the incident, was driving his vehicle on Englewood Avenue in the Town of Tonawanda when he drove through a stop sign at St. Johns Avenue and caused a collision with another vehicle. The defendant’s wife was sitting in the front passenger seat at the time of the crash.

The defendant admitted that he caused a false accident report to be made, with the intent to defraud, by stating that his wife was the driver of the vehicle.

Today, the case against the defendant’s wife was adjourned in contemplation of dismissal.

Scholl was sentenced this morning to a conditional discharge. He was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.

The case was prosecuted by Bureau Chief Candace K. Vogel of the DA’s Special Investigations and Prosecutions (SIP) Unit.