As a result of a lengthy investigation by New Jersey authorities, 10 young men have been arrested and now face serious criminal charges. Five of those are football players for Rutgers University, while two others are former players for that team. The charges range from aggravated assault to armed robbery. As each individual prepares his criminal defense strategy, additional details may become available.
The investigation began with a reported home invasion that took place in New Brunswick in April, 2015. During that incident, three men allegedly broke into a home and held five students at gunpoint while stealing an undisclosed amount of marijuana and cash. A former Rutgers student was arrested in connection with that matter, and he was linked with a different home invasion in which two armed men broke into a home and stole drugs and cash.
In a third incident, two young men are accused of trying to break into a student's dorm room to try and rob an occupant. Another incident involved as assault on a city street. As the investigation broadened, additional individuals were linked to those crimes, leading to the full range of criminal charges that are now active within the case.
As these men move forward within the New Jersey criminal justice process, each will have the chance to present his own criminal defense to the charges faced. While some of the charges are more serious than others, a conviction on any of the criminal counts would lead to a negative outcome for any of these young men. Those who are still enrolled at Rutgers and are playing for the University's football team could lose their status as both players and students. The young men who have already left school could end up with a criminal record, which could impede their ability to attend graduate school or find gainful employment.
Source: nj.com, "5 Rutgers football players arrested in connection with home invasions and assault", Keith Sargeant, Sept. 3, 2015