He's been asked to go and see them personally, as I read the OP, and perhaps that is where the difference lies.......his criminal conviction.

So he decides to resend a brand new visa application again, thru a third party agency instead.

Consular official goes ????........when he/she matches them up.

It's like a kid asking Mommy for something, she says no, and the the kid goes to ask Daddy for the same thing.