Staff Writers
Arsenal owner gets three years’ probation
Police say Spotswood man had 300 weapons
Nicole c. vaccaro
Staff Writers
The Spotswood man accused of owning an illegal arsenal of weapons in his home in September was sentenced to probation, Monday.
Richard Schaefle received three years’ probation by state Superior Court Judge Barnett Hoffman, sitting in New Brunswick, for possession of unauthorized assault weapons.
Schaefle was initially arrested on Sept. 30 after firefighters, first aiders and police responded to a blaze. Upon arrival, authorities discovered a large cache of weapons inside the home.
According to police, the arsenal included as many as 300 weapons, including military rocket launchers, assault weapons, handguns, smoke grenades, and thousands of rounds of ammunition, police said.
In addition to a wide range of firearms, police searches also yielded knives, Nazi paraphernalia and a trio of skulls.
At that time, Schaefle’s bail was set at $750,000.
In October, Schaefle’s bail was dismissed, and he was released on his own recognizance after psychological test results concluded that he was neither a threat to himself nor others.
As a condition of the release, however, Schaefle had to agree to seek extensive psychiatric evaluation and undergo counseling.

