An Edgartown man was convicted Wednesday in federal court in Boston of staging an armed bank robbery on Martha’s Vineyard in 2022, federal authorities said.
Michael Antonio Jones33, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, US Attorney Joshua S. Levy said.
Jones was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2023 and more charges were filed against him in a superseding indictment in April 2023, Levy said.
Jones conspired with Omar Odion Johnson, of Canterbury, New Hampshire, Romane Andre Clayton, of Jamaica, and Tevin Porter, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, to commit an armed robbery at a Rockland Trust bank in Vineyard Haven on November 17 of 2022, Levy. he said
Jones led the robbery since it was the only one on the Vineyard, Levy said. He chose the bank they would rob, obtained and provided all the necessary items for the robbery to the other men, including dark-colored clothing, plastic masks to make them look old, ties and tape, and chose when. rob the bank He also paid Johnson to carry a gun, Levy said.
Jones met Johnson and Clayton on Martha’s Vineyard and explained the plan to them before driving him and the others to the Rockland Trust bank, Levy said. He told them about the bank and its level of security. The men slept at Jones’ house in Edgartown the night before they robbed the bank.
Jones brought the men to the bank on Nov. 17, 2022, Levy said. Jones, Johnson and Porter hid in the bushes near the back of the bank while Clayton drove to a nearby state forest to park the car, before cycling back to the bank.
When the three bank workers arrived that morning, Jones, Johnson and Porter, wearing plastic masks and guns, approached them and forced their way through the back door, Levy said.
One of the men held a bank employee at gunpoint, forced them to open the bank safe and stole about $39,100, Levy said.
“Bank employees were bound with duct tape and plastic ties while their belongings were searched and the robbers demanded access to one of their vehicles,” Levy said.
Jones, Porter and Johnson left the bank in a worker’s car, picked up Clayton outside the bank and then drove to Manuel Correllus State Forest, Levy said. They left the car in a parking lot. They then left in another car that Clayton left there to escape.
Porter and Clayton left Martha’s Vineyard together on a ferry, Levy said. Meanwhile, Jones and Johnson drove to an island farm associated with Jones’ gardening job to dispose of items used in the robbery.
“At the farm, they buried the two firearms used in the robbery in a hole in the ground and burned the rest of the robbery equipment, including the plastic masks,” Levy said.
Jones returned to his home where he hid the nearly $39,100 he stole in the back of his bedroom under a desk, Levy said. He left Martha’s Vineyard and returned to play with Porter and Clayton at Woods Hole in Falmouth, then drove them near Johnson’s home in New Hampshire.