Man who used identity of ex-Vancouver councilor Tonkovich sentenced

A Chicago man was sentenced Wednesday to 60 days of community service for attempting to open a bank account in the name of former Vancouver City Councilor Daniel Tonkovich.

Oluwatoyosi Josiah Adebayo, 34, pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to second-degree identity theft and forgery.

Judge Emily Sheldrick granted Adebayo’s attorney’s request for the Chicago man to serve his community service sentence at a nonprofit in his home city.

According to a probable cause affidavit, between April 20 and May 2, 2019, Adebayo used a forged Wisconsin identification card with the name Daniel Paul Tonkovich to open a bank account in Bolingbrook, Ill., a southwest suburb of Chicago. Tonkovich is a former Vancouver city councilor who served in the position for 16 years.

“Shortly after the bank account was opened, Adebayo attempted to transfer $180,000 from Tonkovich’s 401(k) retirement account into the newly created (account),” the affidavit says.

Tonkovich was made aware of the activity once the transfer paperwork was submitted to the retirement fund company, according to the affidavit.

The paperwork included all of Tonkovich’s personal information and a forged signature. It also included a forged or copied notary stamp from a Clark County employee who told police no one had her permission to use her stamp, according to the affidavit.

Detectives later received and reviewed video surveillance of Adebayo at the Illinois bank. They identified him through witnesses and his ID, court records say.