TRENTON — A Wall Township man who pulled off an armed bank robbery but was caught just minutes later has been sentenced to a little more than five years in federal prison, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Jeffrey L. Kniffin, 51, received a 63-month sentence from U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi. Kniffin had pleaded guilty in July to a federal charge of armed bank robbery.
Federal prosecutors said the crime happened on Oct. 23, 2024, when Kniffin walked into a Wall Township bank carrying a loaded handgun. He approached a teller, demanded cash, and repeatedly warned, “Don’t do anything stupid.” At one point, he pulled the gun from his pocket and pointed it toward the teller.
Kniffin left the bank with roughly $27,000, but his getaway didn’t last long. Police arrested him within minutes and recovered a loaded handgun along with more than $25,000 in stolen cash.
In addition to his prison term, Kniffin was ordered to serve three years of supervised release, forfeit the gun and robbery proceeds, and pay nearly $2,000 in restitution.
Habba credited FBI task force officers, along with Wall Township police and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, for the quick investigation that led to Kniffin’s arrest and sentencing.
