Â鶹APP

Police Siren. Photo By Diego Fabian Parra Pabon –

10 Things to Know About the Martha’s Vineyard Bank Robbery

The Martha’s Vineyard bank robbery made headlines on Thursday, November 17^th, 2022. The Rockland Trust Bank was attacked by armed robbers in the wee hours of a busy morning, as they were preparing to begin the workday.

The robbery was premeditated and orchestrated by individuals who were well aware of the access points. Two of the perpetrators were traced through phone calls and recorded surveillance footage of their movements.

Read about ten of the most famous bank robberies in America.

1. Martha’s Vineyard Bank Robbery Was Executed By Three Masked Men

Faceless man. Photo By Isaac Castillejos –

Three men made their way into the Rockland Trust Bank equipped with semi-automatic rifles. The men were wearing white masks resembling an old man’s face. Their clothes were dark in color.

Threatening both staff and customers, the burglars subdued them as they made their way into the bank. They led the staff of the bank through the back door as they came into work.

2. The Robbers Stole Approximately 40,000 US Dollars

Once the manager opened the vault, the three men hurriedly stuffed notes into duffel bags that they had brought along with them. Revelation by the bank pointed to the fact that the men had stolen $ 39,100 on that morning.

The robbers banked and transferred some of the money to bank accounts located in Jamaica and the United States. The accounts remain under investigation as the case approaches conclusion with the conviction of the suspects being a highly likely outcome.

Learn about the most famous bank robberies of all time on the Discover Walk website.

3. The Gang’s Robbery Plan Had Loopholes

Image showing Speedometer on vehicle dashboards Photo By Arek Socha –

After storming into the bank, the robbers identified the bank manager from three employees who had clocked in that morning. Held at gunpoint, the manager was asked to lead them to the bank’s vault.

After leaving the vault with the stolen money, the robbers bound the tellers using plastic zip ties and duct tape. The burglars were caught off guard when they realized they had no getaway vehicle close by.

Like part of a movie script, they opted to search the bank’s staff looking for car keys. They took off with one of the teller’s cars.

Click here to see the best bank robbery movies of all time.

4. The Abandoned Vehicle Was Found Around 4 Kilometers From the Crime Scene

The robbers got access to a Nissan Murano belonging to an employee which they used to evade the crime scene. They would later abandon the vehicle in a parking lot for a getaway vehicle that they used to get away from the town.

Local authorities located the Murano approximately 3.8 km from the crime scene at Barnes Road near Manuel F. Correllus State Forest. After a thorough search, the police found duct tape inside the vehicle.

5. Preliminary Investigations Of The Martha Vineyard Bank Robbery Put Two Gang Members On Men On The Spot

Robbing a bank is one thing, but robbing a bank on an Island with only one way in and out is a joke in itself. Investigations done by law enforcement officers placed Omar Johnson and Miquel Jones at the crime scene soon after the heist.

As they made their escape from the bank, the gang took one of the teller’s vehicles. They abandoned the get-away car and hopped onto another car identified as Johnson’s vehicle.

The vehicle in Jones’ possession at the time was identified during a traffic stop by the police. The vehicle’s identification on surveillance footage leaving the parking lot connects it to an earlier interaction between the two suspects where they were seen together.

Further surveillance footage and admissions placing the two suspects together on the day of the crime led to their arrest.

6. Additional Evidence of The Martha’s Vineyard Bank Robbery Was Found in One of The Robber’s Workplace

Radio Set .Walkie talkies. Photo By Gustavo Belemmi –

As investigations continued, police were led to Tisbury Farm, Jones’s former place of work. The property was operated by a local landscaping company. From the scene, the investigating officers were able to recover zip ties, rubber bands, a glove, and a paper money band.

Part of the Tisbury Farm had scorch marks indicating that some items had been burnt in a possible case of evidence destruction. Some of the pieces recovered include walkie-talkie pieces, antennae, batteries, and a white mask. These items were consistent with the reports of the robbery and provided strong evidence that could be used to convict the perpetrators.

7. All Guns Used During The Martha’s Vineyard Bank Robbery Were Recovered

Investigators located a vehicle tied to burglary leading up to and after the robbery parked on a property belonging to Johnson. Bank deposit receipts for the 4,100 US dollars were found around the same location earlier on.

The police obtained warrants to search the property, and this led to the recovery of a black handgun, one believed to have been used during the heist. Additionally, two handguns were found in close proximity to the scorched area on Tisbury farm.

The guns had been buried inches under the ground in an attempt to conceal the evidence.

8. Two Cars Used In The Martha’s Vineyard Bank Robbery Belonged To One Of The Gang Members

When the officers conducted a search of Johnson’s vehicle, three one-hundred-dollar bills were found. Among the bills, two had been sequentially marked. It created grounds for further investigations.

In addition to this, Mr. Johnson’s wife’s car, a Maxima, was used to make two deposits at Webster Bank in Waterbury amounting to 4,100 dollars.

9. An International Citizen Was Arrested In Connection To The Robbery

Jamaican Flag. Photo By Jorono –

Romane Andre Clayton, a Jamaican citizen, was arrested in connection with the Martha Vineyard Bank robbery. He was named an accomplice of the heist after much investigation led to his association in the heist.

 Andre was spotted in a silver sedan with Johnson in the passenger seat 40 minutes after the robbery had been conducted. The two boarded the ferry together after purchasing their travel tickets. Andre was suspected to be Johnson’s getaway driver.

10. Two Of The Gang Members In Martha’s Vineyard Bank Robbery Had Been Charged With Other Crimes Prior To the Incident

Silhouette of armed Robbery. Photo by Maxim Hopman –

Both Miquel Jones and Omar Johnson are repeat offenders with a history of appearances and arraignments in court.

Johnson had been previously charged and arraigned in court on possession of a firearm, and intention to commit armed robbery with a firearm. Both cases were still ongoing in the courts.

Jones had been an accessory after the fact of a previous armed robbery. His previous case was still in progress despite the current charges.

Jones and Johnson were offered bale amounting to 600,000 USD. The two are required to wear tracking devices and observed a strict 8 am to 8 pm curfew when they will be released. 

Curious about the most famous gangsters of all time, click this link to learn more.