By Kristen Neymarc
A Morristown man accused of assaulting a QuickChek employee and, 16 days later, breaking into a local home, where police found him naked on the roof, rejected a seven-year prison plea deal Monday.
Michael M. Sapp, 31, already was under court supervision for the alleged assault when police arrested him at a Miller Road house on July 31, 2026. He also has a prior arson conviction for setting a car on fire in Morristown.
At Monday’s hearing before Superior Court Judge Robert Hanna, prosecutors offered to resolve both cases if Sapp pleaded guilty to second-degree residential burglary and accepted a seven-year prison sentence. Under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, he would have had to serve nearly six years before becoming eligible for parole.
The agreement also would have barred Sapp from contacting the victims or returning to the home or QuickChek, and required him to undergo a mental health evaluation and follow treatment recommendations.
Sapp rejected the offer. His attorney asked that the cases proceed to a grand jury.
TWO ARRESTS IN 16 DAYS
Sapp’s legal troubles began July 15, when he allegedly took a bottle of Gatorade from a QuickChek and assaulted an employee who confronted him.
According to prosecutors, Sapp punched the employee in the face and grabbed his genitals.
He was charged with third-degree aggravated assault and terroristic threats, along with defiant trespass, a lesser offense.
Prosecutors sought to keep Sapp jailed while the charges were pending, but Superior Court Judge Claudia Jones denied their request and released him under Level 2 pretrial monitoring, allowing him to remain in the community under court supervision.
Sixteen days later, a barking dog awakened a family at its Miller Road residence in Morristown’s Historic District.
As Morristown Green previously reported, the residents discovered their back door open and unfamiliar clothing beside their swimming pool. They also heard someone walking around upstairs.
The homeowner instructed his wife and daughter to lock themselves in a bedroom while police responded.
Officers found Sapp naked on the second-floor roof, with property belonging to the homeowners. He was charged with second-degree residential burglary and third-degree theft.
AN EARLIER ARSON CONVICTION
Sapp pleaded guilty to third-degree arson in December 2024 for setting a car on fire in Morristown in July 2023. He received one year of probation.
At an Aug. 11 hearing, Judge Hanna ordered Sapp jailed, citing his prior arson conviction and his alleged commission of another crime while under court supervision.
Sapp’s attorney proposed a residential treatment program in New York, but Hanna denied the request. He also denied a subsequent motion to reconsider Sapp’s detention on Sept. 15.
With the seven-year plea offer rejected, Sapp’s case heads to a grand jury, which will hear evidence presented by prosecutors and decide whether there is enough to charge him through an indictment. Unlike a trial jury, a grand jury does not determine guilt or innocence.
Hanna scheduled a review hearing for next month and identified Oct. 29 as the speedy-trial deadline for the burglary case, subject to legally permitted extensions.
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