Man Who Posed as State Trooper to Rob Home Sentenced

Keansburg, NJ - A Keansburg man who said he was a member of the New Jersey State Police and forced his way into a home in the borough at gunpoint to steal cash and drugs, was sentenced Friday to 20 years in state prison.

Steven Rinck, 49, of Seabreeze Way in Keansburg, was convicted on Christmas Eve 2015 for an incident that occurred around 9 p.m. on October 21, 2012.

Armed with a handgun, and carrying a document he said was a search warrant to search the house, Rink strong-armed his way inside a home at 156 Seeley Avenue in Keansburg. Once inside, Rinck convinced the victim he was a legitimate member of law enforcement before stealing cash and drugs, Monmouth County prosecutors said.

During the armed robbery, Rinck claimed he worked for the State Police before forcing the two men, at gunpoint, into a vehicle. He later released the second victim, but took the first man on a ride in search of drugs, and asked for information regarding where he could obtain guns. The victim was finally released by Rinck after telling him the first name that popped into his head, "Tito," the cartoon character from the show he was watching on television prior to Rinck’s arrival.