3rd Person Charged In Martha's Vineyard Bank Robbery

MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MA — A third person was charged in relation to the armed robbery of Rockland Trust Bank on Martha's Vineyard in November, the United States Attorney's Office in Massachusetts announced.

Romane Andre Clayton, 21, of Jamaica, was arrested on Dec. 9, 2022 in Connecticut and charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact to armed bank robbery. Unlike Miquel Antonio Jones, 39, of Edgartown, and Omar Odion Johnson, 32 of Canterbury, N.H., Clayton isn't facing a charge of armed bank robbery.

Jones and Johnson were federally charged on Dec. 1, 2022, and remain in state custody on related charges, the Attorney's Office said.

As for Clayton's role in the scheme, surveillance video obtained from the Steamship Authority ferry terminal in Vineyard Haven shows Clayton arriving to the terminal around 40 minutes after the robbery, officials said.

Clayton parked a silver sedan in the lot near the terminal, where he purchased tickets and boarded a ferry at 9:21 a.m., officials said. Then, around 30 minutes later, officials say the video shows Johnson arriving at the parking lot and getting into the driver's seat of the sedan.

Further, Johnson is later captured driving the silver sedan to the vehicle reservation clerk booth, purchasing a vehicle ferry ticket, and boarding a freight ferry in the silver sedan at 12:24 p.m., officials said.

The charge of being an accessory after the fact to armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 150 months in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

Nov. 17 Robbery and Charges

According to charging documents, three men entered the bank on Nov. 17 all wearing masks and dark clothing. According to witnesses, the men were allegedly carrying what appeared to be semi-automatic handguns.

Previously, the District Attorney's Office released an arraignment report which stated that employees were bound by duct tape and plastic restraints, officials said. After leaving the bank, the three suspects fled the scene in a car they took from one of the employees, officials noted.

Charging documents reveal that one of the suspects allegedly held a gun to the head of one of the bank employees and forced him to open the bank’s vault, taking nearly $40,000, officials said.

According to the charging documents, following an investigation by law enforcement, Jones and Johnson were identified as suspects.

It is alleged that subsequent searches by law enforcement resulted in the recovery of three $100 bills and clothing consistent with the individuals in Jones’ car; a black handgun from Johnson’s home; and paperwork reflecting both a money transfer to Jamaica in the approximate amount of $700 and cash deposits in the amount of $4,100 made at a bank in Connecticut in Johnson’s car.

Read more: Bank Employees Were Bound During Martha's Vineyard Armed Robbery: DA

Read more: 2nd Man Charged In Martha's Vineyard Bank Robbery Case

During a search of the Tisbury farm used by a local landscaping company that employs Jones, a glove, paper money band, zip tie and multiple rubber bands were recovered. These items are consistent with the bank robbery, officials said.

Investigators also observed an area that appeared to have had a recent fire, and found burned pieces of nylon, white metal plastic consistent with a white mask, burned walkie-talkie pieces, an antennae, batteries and pieces of metal consistent with a duffle bag zipper.

Within a few feet of the burned area, two semi-automatic handguns loaded with 9mm ammunition were discovered buried inches under the ground. These items, including the handguns, were consistent with items possessed by the robbers during the robbery of the Rockland Trust bank, officials said.

The charge of armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

Prior to the federal charges, Johnson was already facing charges of masked armed robbery with a firearm and conspiracy to commit armed robbery with a firearm. Jones was previously arraigned in District Court for one count of accessory after the fact to an armed robbery.