Crime & Safety

Teaneck High Pranksters Take Deal for Clean Record

Three former students must each pay $158 in court fees and stay out of trouble for six months to wipe record clean.

Three former Teaneck High School students charged in the May senior prank that drew national attention each accepted plea deals on Wednesday that will wipe their record clean.

Benjamin Bland, David Jones and Matthew Moring, all 18, each agreed to pay $158 in court fees over a six-month period in which they must stay out of trouble, according to NorthJersey.com.

The trio appeared in Teaneck Municipal Court on Wednesday facing disorderly persons charges.

Four of the 24 adults charged in the May 1 prank have now accepted a conditional dismissal program, according to the report. The remainder of the 18-year-olds charged will have hearings between now and Aug. 13. The 39 juveniles charged will not need to appear in court and are being handled by a police department counselor, NorthJersey.com reported.

A total of 63 seniors were initially charged with burglary and criminal mischief before the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office downgraded the charges to disorderly persons offenses.

The students broke into the school during the overnight hours of May 1, entered classrooms, overturned desks and greased doorknobs and lockers. Teaneck Police, who said the school was completely trashed, initially reported the students also urinated in the hallways.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.