Five current Rutgers football players and a former player for the team were arrested on Thursday, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office announced. Four of the current players are alleged to have been involved in an assault of a student in April.
Rutgers defensive backs Nadir Barnwell, Dre Boggs, Ruhann Peele, Delon Stephenson and fullback Razohnn Gross were each arrested, per the prosecutor's office release. The players have been suspended indefinitely, the school announced. Former Rutgers player Tejay Johnson was also arrested, per the release. Daryl Stephenson, also a former player, was charged and remains at large, according to the prosecutor's office.
Barnwell, a junior, is already at the center of a controversy at Rutgers, as head coach Kyle Flood allegedly sent an email to a faculty member about Barnwell's status. The school is investigating whether Flood had impermissible contact with the faculty member.
The investigation into the alleged criminal activity started in the spring when police were called to a home invasion in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on April 26, per the release from the prosecutor's office. Police say three men forced their way into the home and stole money and marijuana from five students at gunpoint.
Johnson was charged with robbery, criminal restraint, theft, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. In addition, Johnson and Boggs face charges of robbery, burglary while armed, and conspiracy to commit an armed robbery as police allege they forced their way into a New Brunswick home on April 27 and, armed with a bat and a knife, robbed a student of close to $900 and some marijuana.
In a separate incident, Johnson and Boggs were charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and attempted burglary while armed for allegedly trying to force their way into a student's dorm room at Livingston College in Piscataway in May.
Police allege Johnson, Barnwell, Peele, Gross and Daryl Stephenson and Delon Stephenson surrounded a group of at least four people, including a Rutgers student, and assaulted them during an incident on April 25. All six alleged attackers were charged with aggravated assault, riot, and conspiracy to commit a riot. A male student suffered a broken jaw during the alleged attack, according to the prosecutor's office, which announced that the investigation is active and ongoing.
UPDATE: Rutgers announced on Saturday that Barnwell, Boggs, Peele, Delon Stephenson and Gross have been dismissed from the program.
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