Daniel Bak was charged during the investigation in a string of home invasions police said were committed by former Rutgers students.
NEW BRUNSWICK -- One of the students busted on drug charges connected to the arrests of former Rutgers football players and students accused of home invasion robberies was spared jail time on Monday.
"No kid, I'm not locking you up," Superior Court Judge Dennis Nieves said.
Instead, Daniel Bak, 21, of Ridgefield, was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay $1,330 in fines.
Bak was a housemate Jianan Chen, who was accused of helping plan a string of home invasions two years ago. Seven people were charged in the robberies, during which authorities said the group stole cash and drugs, sometimes at gunpoint.
"Kid, you have abilities," Nieves said to Bak, who appeared in court wearing a slim-fit black suit, white shirt and tie. "You better put this out if you want to be someone."
Bak, along with another housemate Dominick Chiang, 21, of New Brunswick, and Chen's girlfriend, Joyce Yi, 20, of Palisades Park, were not charged in the 2015 home invasions. The original charges painted a picture of a drug-selling partnership between the roommates.
"I'm glad I didn't go to jail," Bak said through a smile outside of the courtroom with his attorney Peter M. Weiner. "It seems like a new beginning for me."
Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Deborah Hay asked for zero tolerance for Bak in his probation as a way to "deter people from having or selling drugs in a university setting."
Bak said he is no longer a Rutgers student but is taking classes at Middlesex Community College. As part of the sentencing, Bak will lose his driver's license for six months and he will be subject to random drug tests.
The former football players who have since been charged in the robberies are: Andre Boggs, 21, of Coatesville, Pennsylvania; Lloyd Terry, 21, of Wrightstown; Jamil Pollard, 22, of Woodbury, and Tejay Johnson, 24, of Egg Harbor Township.
Chen, 20, of New Brunswick, and Dylan Mastriana, 20, of Rio Grande, are accused of planning the jobs and Kaylanna Ricks, 21, of Perth Amboy, allegedly drove a getaway car in a botched robbery.
Johnson was also indicted, along with five others, in a separate, unrelated aggravated assault in the city over a parking space. Those cases remain pending.
Craig McCarthy may be reached at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.