LARGO — It might sound like a grade school trick — one twin pretends to be another — except that in this case, it happened in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court.

And the imposter twin now has a six-month jail sentence.

Court officials say Matthew Benedict Mauceri, 40, was scheduled to stand trial on Tuesday morning on a charge of scheming to defraud, but apparently was having trouble getting to the courthouse on time.

Someone did show up for trial, but it was really Mauceri's twin brother Marcus. Fingerprints proved it.

Circuit Judge Joseph A. Bulone sentenced Marcus Mauceri to 179 days in jail for contempt of court. His brother also was being held in the Pinellas County Jail and now has a new trial date in July.

Times staff