An Edgartown man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for orchestrating an armed bank robbery on Martha’s Vineyard. Miquel Anthonio Jones, aged 33, will also face three years of supervised release following his sentence. In March 2023, Jones was indicted by a federal grand jury with further charges added in April.
Jones collaborated with Omar Odion Johnson from Canterbury, New Hampshire; Romane Andre Clayton from Jamaica; and Tevin Porter from Bridgeport, Connecticut. The group carried out the robbery at the Rockland Trust bank branch in Vineyard Haven on November 17, 2022.
As the sole member of the crew residing on Martha’s Vineyard, Jones played a leading role in planning the heist. He selected the target bank and provided necessary items such as dark clothing and plastic masks resembling elderly men. Additionally, he paid Johnson to procure a firearm for the operation.
On November 16, 2022, Jones met with Johnson and Clayton to finalize their plans before driving them to the bank location. They spent that night at Jones’ residence before executing their plan the next morning.
The robbery commenced when Jones drove his accomplices to the bank on November 17. Upon arrival, they hid near the building while Clayton parked their vehicle nearby and returned by bicycle. As employees arrived at work, Jones and his partners confronted them at gunpoint using plastic masks for disguise. They forced entry into the bank through a rear door where one employee was compelled to open a vault containing approximately $39,100.
After securing access to an employee's car for their escape, they abandoned it at Manuel Correllus State Forest before fleeing in another vehicle left by Clayton earlier. Later that day Porter and Clayton departed Martha’s Vineyard via ferry while Jones disposed of evidence including firearms used during this crime by burying them underground then burning other materials like plastic masks utilized during this incident.
U.S Attorney Joshua S Levy commented: “Protecting people from criminal conduct comes in many forms... This decade-long sentence sends clear message: such violent crimes have no place here.” FBI Special Agent Jodi Cohen remarked: “It’s incredibly fortunate no one was hurt... Today’s sentence makes clear that bank robbery is not an easy payday.”
Co-defendants Clayton Johnson Porter have pleaded guilty awaiting sentencing January next year U.S Attorney Levy FBI SAC Cohen announced today assistance provided Cape Islands District Attorney Office Massachusetts State Police Tisbury West Tisbury Edgartown Chilmark Oak Bluffs Aquinnah Canterbury NH New Haven Conn Police Departments United States Postal Inspection Service Bureau Alcohol Tobacco Firearms Immigration Customs Enforcement United States Customs Border Protection Assistant U.S Attorney Meghan C Cleary prosecuting case