A federal grand jury returned indictments this week for three men accused of robbing the Rockland Trust Bank in Vineyard Haven.
Ray Ewing

Bank Robbery Suspects Indicted

Three men who had been arrested in connection with the armed robbery of the Rockland Trust in November were indicted by a federal grand jury this week.

Three men who had been arrested in connection with the armed robbery of the Rockland Trust in November were indicted by a federal grand jury this week.

Miquel Jones, 39, of Edgartown, Omar Johnson, 32 of New Hampshire, and Romane Clayton, of Jamaica, were all indicted on Thursday. Mr. Jones and Mr. Johnson were indicted on charges of armed bank robbery and aiding and abetting; Mr. Clayton was indicted on being an accessory after the fact to an armed bank robbery.

All three men will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date, but nothing has been set, according to court records.

Since their arrests late last year, Jones and Johnson have remained in custody; Clayton was released with conditions, according to the U.S. Attorney Office.

The men are accused of forcing their way into the Rockland Trust Bank in Tisbury on Nov. 17, wearing masks and carrying what appeared to be handguns. Once inside, one of the men allegedly held a gun to the head of a bank employee and forced them to open the bank’s vault.

Officials say the men took about $39,000, before binding employees with duct tape and plastic zip ties and leaving in a bank employee’s car.

That car was found a couple miles away, allegedly left in a parking lot for another vehicle. Then men later got on a Steamship Authority ferry and left the Island.

Mr. Jones was arrested in November by state police on-Island and was initially arraigned in Edgartown District Court. Mr. Clayton and Mr. Johnson were both arrested in Connecticut. Mr. Johnson was arrested on Nov. 25, and Clayton was arrested on Dec. 9.

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/17/2023 - 12:28

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here we go again edg

Thanks again to the dedicated law enforcement personell. I'm glad they are being prosecuted in federal court instead of here where it would be 'suspended sentences' or 'continued without a finding'. Is that all the actors, or is there anyone else out there? I thought THREE men entered the bank... so this is 2 inside... and the getaway driver? = 4 total?? So one of the actual armed robbers still out there?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/17/2023 - 15:19

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Anonymous

What about the other suspects seen sending the Money Order? What happened to the money? What happened to the money sent via money order?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/18/2023 - 08:46

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Brenda Leonard OB

Thank you to all involved in apprehending these criminals.
I hope all the employees are doing well and their employer has treated them extremely well.
Yes what happened to the people that were caught in the other states making deposits of money and sending it to others.
What happened to the bank employee whose bf was one of the robbers.

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