A New Hampshire man charged with robbing the Vineyard Haven Rockland Trust branch in an armed heist will be extradited after he was arrested during a car stop in Connecticut this weekend.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Prosecutors will extradite a New Hampshire man who they have charged with robbing the Vineyard Haven Rockland Trust branch in an armed heist, after state police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested him during a car stop in Connecticut this weekend.
Omar Johnson, 39, of Canterbury, N.H. appeared in the New Haven County courthouse Monday, charged with masked armed robbery with a firearm and conspiracy to commit armed robbery with a firearm in connection with an armed bank robbery that occurred at the Rockland Trust branch in Vineyard Haven on Nov. 17.
Mr. Johnson voluntarily waived extradition in court Monday, meaning that state prosecutors can transport him to Massachusetts within the next month. The Hon. Brian Fischer set Mr. Johnson’s bail at $250,000, which he said was “based on the seriousness of the charges.”
“I did review [the file] to make a finding of probable cause,” Judge Fischer said.
Police swarm the scene at Rockland Trust in Vineyard Haven Nov. 17.
Police swarm the scene at Rockland Trust in Vineyard Haven Nov. 17.
The arrest occurred at 8:00 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25 after a car stop in New Haven, Conn., according to a statement from the Cape and Islands district attorney’s office. A spokesman for the district attorney’s office said that the state police, Tisbury police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut state police were all involved in the arrest.
According to documents filed in court Monday, an FBI agent named F. Grillo and the state police put out a warrant for Mr. Johnson’s arrest earlier on Friday. Police then started looking for a white Honda CRV with “PAMPI” on the New Hampshire license plate, the report states.
Police located and stopped the vehicle at the intersection of Crescent and Fournier streets near the Newhalville area of New Haven, a report from the New Haven police department states. A photo of Mr. Johnson provided by the state police confirmed that Mr. Johnson was operating the vehicle. He was taken into custody without incident, according to the report.
Mr. Johnson is currently being held at the New Haven police department. He is the first person to be charged with armed robbery in connection with the heist, which occurred early in the morning of Nov. 17 when three armed robbers wearing Halloween masks ambushed staff just before the Rockland Trust opened off the Vineyard Haven-Edgartown Road.
The robbers bound bank personnel with duct tape and plastic ties before leaving with an undisclosed amount of money in a vehicle stolen from one of the tellers, according to police.
New Haven County courthouse.
New Haven County courthouse.
A second individual, Miquel Jones, 30, of Edgartown, was arrested late last week after police said he drove a getaway vehicle used by the robbers. He was arraigned on Monday on one count of being an accessory to an armed robbery. He is currently being held in the Edgartown jail on $300,000 bail.
The robbery spurred a dramatic police manhunt that stretched across the Vineyard Sound to Cape Cod, as Island police departments, the state police and a special division of the FBI all followed leads for the robbers. Nothing turned up until last weekend, when police said they were able to use surveillance video and witnesses to track down Mr. Jones.
Mr. Jones, a Jamaican citizen who gave an Edgartown address, was arrested on Island after a traffic stop, according to the district attorney’s office. Police said that they found black clothing, duct tape and three, $100 bills in his vehicle, two of which had sequential serial numbers. Mr. Jones admitted to his vehicle being parked near where the robbers dropped off the stolen car soon after the bank hold-up, a prosecutor said during his arraignment Monday.
District attorney spokesman Tara Miltimore said in the statement Saturday that Tisbury police, state police and the FBI are continuing to investigate the incident.
In court Monday, prosecutors provided no new details about the crime, which marked the first armed bank robbery on the Island in decades.
Mr. Johnson, like Mr. Jones, is a Jamaican citizen, according to court documents. A bail officer said that he has resided in New Hampshire for the past two years and is currently unemployed.
Judge Fischer set Mr. Johnson's next court date as Jan. 3, 2023.
Comments
It’s great to see our first
Scorched Earth OB but grew up down islandIt’s great to see our first responders hard work pay off. Crime doesn’t pay and the Lord will set you free.
I'm a little skeptical on
ErichI'm a little skeptical on this first guy... I find it hard to believe the driver of the getaway car would just keep driving around the island with evidence of the crime still in the back seat. I mean, I get that criminals are not always rocket scientists.. but this seems especially daft.
Agreed. Especially since
CDUBAgreed. Especially since the DA noted he was found after a traffic stop. What's that? Other than speeding on Beach Road or DUI, I've never seen one here. If they were looking for him based upon surveillance footage and found him, that's cool but I'd hope the scenario is NOT that he was DWB and pulled over and then a search without probable cause. I'm sure it'll all come to light /s
What an ignorant comment
get serious mvWhat an ignorant comment about "DWB'. He was pulled over because he is a bank robbery suspect and a warrant was issued for his arrest based upon evidence provided to a court. Hence police specifically look for those with active warrants, especially violent gun toting criminals, as they are required by law to act upon the warrant and take the suspect into custody, whether driving a car, or walking down the street. Give it a rest.
Totally agree with "Get
Lawrence NY in WinterTotally agree with "Get Serious." Above comment is "way beyond reality" When the police have a suspect car in site and perform a good and safe stop.
Dear "get serious" - from
CDUB EtownDear "get serious" - from reading the underlying facts associated with the arrest, your version makes for a great script but isn't accurate. Please go back and read "Edgartown Man Arraigned in Connection to Bank Robbery" for an accurate accounting. I care about process and convictions that stand scrutiny. All citizen's should.
I would expect that our fine
Richard James Vineyard HavenI would expect that our fine officers would perform a traffic stop on any vehicle/person that fit a certain description. It is comments like this that continue to divide us all. Enough already! Please be aware of the details and think before you type.
Have I missed it, or have
Mr. B ChilmarkHave I missed it, or have they not released the amount stolen from the bank? And if they haven't released it, why not? I hear rumors, but nothing more.
Amounts stolen in bank
Mr. T OBAmounts stolen in bank robberies are rarely, if ever disclosed, by design. It's really none of your business.
It is more about curiosity
Richard James Vineyard HavenIt is more about curiosity which is human nature. Please be kind.
I grew up in southie and
Charlie Callahan So Boston/EdgartownI grew up in southie and when I was a kid we used to drink in the Pen barroom I think it was on Broadway. There was a bank robbery the day before and when we were in there this guy was paying for everyones drinks,turns out he was paying with cash from the robbery and the tactical police swarmed the bar and grabbed this dimwit. I think he spent have the loot and the bills were all with matching serial numbers . Another Einstein.
So we have Columbo , Spencer,
George Strin OBSo we have Columbo , Spencer, Kojak, Mannix and other high profile sleuths commenting here. All operating under assumed identities. May I be the first to applaud the interaction of law enforcement agencies still hunting down the third suspect. Bravo !
So we have Columbo , Spencer,
George Strin OBSo we have Columbo , Spencer, Kojak, Mannix and other high profile sleuths commenting here. All operating under assumed identities. May I be the first to applaud the interaction of law enforcement agencies still hunting down the third suspect. Bravo !
CDUB - I agree with you that
Christine SengeCDUB - I agree with you that DWB is a serious issue in our country. But in this case, the police stopped the getaway driver because they knew what car to look for because it was captured on tape by the camera of a public bus, driving down Barnes Road near the state forest. They knew which model and color of car to look for, and one that had a missing rear hub cap. That is why the man was stopped.
Thanks for acknowledging my
CDUB EtownThanks for acknowledging my comment and concern (and the addition of the video source!). My concerns about process are often dismissed, but I never want a likely conviction to be overturned by poor process and I like to have awareness of the rights of innocent people. Some small towns (which are among the greatest places to live) seem to have undertrained and underfunded police. If folks are processed correctly and found guilty, I'm all for criminal justice. I happen to be for better training and compensation for law enforcement. Both and. Again thanks for your thoughtful reply.
The whole thing makes me sad.
Martha MageeThe whole thing makes me sad.
Crime is a trauma response ( often an act of desperation due to poverty)
Violence is a trauma response.
Addiction is a trauma response.
It was a trauma for the island to go through.
Prayers for all to receive the help they need to heal their trauma that was at the root of this unfortunate event. This includes the tellers who were tied up. They were traumatized too; more emotionally than physically.
With Compassion for All, Martha Magee
Our police do a great job.
Richard James Vineyard HavenOur police do a great job. Most often than not, they can't win either way. Had the officers not pulled over the car that fit the description of the vehicle in question, they would have been criticized and labeled incompetent. Once again, can't win. The next time that you have the opportunity to thank an officer for what they do, please do so.
Thank you for the Great
Trish Edgartown/CTThank you for the Great Police Work to all those involved!
My sympathies to those bank tellers that day though. You all must have been terrified but you kept your cool and stayed safe :) Bravo to all of you!
Really shocking to hear about this incident. Why go to all the way to MV to rob a bank?
Departing this small island is not exactly easy or anonymous - with lots of watchful eyes and ears - as is the case in most small towns.
Let justice prevail!
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