Crime & Safety

Hatboro Man Convicted of Home Invasion Defiant Over Appeal

Ayodele Gabriel Oke is appealing his January conviction to the Pennsylvania Superior Court.

A Hatboro man who last year called a Montgomery County judge "insane" and is serving time for an April 2011 home invasion robbery of a Hatboro-Horsham High School classmate, continued to challenge the judge Thursday, according to the Times Herald.

Montgomery County Judge Joseph A. Smyth had asked Ayodele Gabriel Oke, 23, of the 300 block of York Road if he wanted a public defender to represent him in an appeal of his conviction. Oke claimed, as he had in previous court proceedings, that there had been a "serious constitutional violation," according to the article. 

Oke was sentenced in January to nine years and one month to 43 years and 11 months behind bars after a jury convicted him of various charges stemming from a home invasion robbery of a Horsham man he attended Hatboro-Horsham High School with, according to Horsham Police. 

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During the robbery, Oke was said to have robbed his former classmate Shawn Schwarz by gunpoint at the Horsham home the victim shared with his parents. 

During court proceedings in 2011, Schwarz said that Oke entered his home, placed one hand around his neck and used the other hand to point a gun at Schwarz's head, while demanding cash. 

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“He said, ‘Shawn, gimme your money,’” Schwarz said at that time. When the victim refused, Oke was said to have choked him. 

According to the criminal complaint released at the time of Oke's arraignment in April 2011, Oke then said, “I’m about to start lettin' off shots."

In the end, Oke made off with $185. Schwarz fled to a neighbor's house. 

Oke, who late last year had represented himself at trial. Since Oke did not cooperate in answering the judge's questions Thursday, he will continue to represent himself on appeal. 


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