NJ man accused of robbing Jets player at gunpoint outside Morristown home

🏈 A Jets football pro was robbed at gunpoint outside his Morristown home.
🔫 Armed, masked men ambushed the victim after he returned from New York City, police say.
🚔 A 26-year-old man already jailed on other cases now faces robbery charges.

MORRISTOWN — A 26-year-old New Jersey man has been accused of the armed robbery of a professional football player as he returned to his Morristown home a year ago.

The victim was a player for the New York Jets, at the time, and will not be publicly identified, police said, other than his initials "J.S." in an affidavit filed by investigators.

Noah Shaffer, of Paterson, has been charged with two counts of first-degree robbery and second-degree conspiracy to commit armed robbery for the harrowing incident on Feb. 15, 2025.

Masked gunmen ambush victim in Windmill Pond neighborhood

Morristown Police responded to several 911 calls of an armed robbery around 8 a.m. in the Windmill Pond section of town.

The victim said he and some acquaintances had just pulled into the driveway after being in New York City when an SUV blocked them in.

Suspects used fake plates and handguns, police say

Four masked, armed men exited a Volkswagen Taos with phony New York license plates, each carrying a handgun.

The robbers pointed their guns at the victim and took his watch and wallet, while also stealing cash from the driver. The watch was valued at $10,000, the affidavit said.

All four robbers then got back into the SUV and took off.

Suspects stole plates, stalked victims in NYC

Police said the New York license plates were confirmed to have been stolen from another vehicle.

Surveillance video showed the Taos entering Manhattan around 2:30 a.m. the morning of the armed robbery.

The SUV was seen outside several clubs that the victims were visiting, over the next few hours, as seen on different security videos shared with Morristown Police.

Records also showed the Taos then crossing the George Washington Bridge into New Jersey around 7:38 a.m.

Electronic evidence links Paterson man to robbery

Using electronic evidence, Shaffer was found to have been one of the robbers, Morris County First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood said.

On Jan.15, Shaffer was charged with two counts of first-degree robbery and second-degree conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

Shaffer was already being held at Bergen County Jail for an unrelated criminal case out of Passaic County.

He was wanted on various charges from at least seven other dates, jail records show.

Shaffer is set to appear in Morris County Superior Court for a hearing on March 2.

This incident and other potential suspects remain under investigation, Calderwood said.

Anyone with information about the armed robbery was encouraged to contact the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at 973-285-6200.

New Jersey is a popular place for players with the New York Jets and the New York Giants to live, as both teams play home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

The Jets also have a practice facility in Florham Park.

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