Fourth and final bank robbery suspect arrested

Updated April 17

Tevin Porter, 27, of Bridgeport, Conn., has been arrested in connection with the Nov. 12 armed bank robbery of the Rockland Trust Bank in Tisbury.

Tisbury Police say it’s the fourth and final suspect arrested in the heist.

A statement issued Thursday evening by the U.S. Attorney of Massachusetts, Rachel Rollins, names Porter as one of the three masked men who forced their way into the rear door of the bank, along with Miquel Antonio Jones, 31, of Edgartown, and Omar Johnson, 32, of Canterbury, N.H. 

Tisbury Police say this is the final suspect in the case, and the arrest offers some closure on the case.

“This was without a doubt one of the most serious crimes that can occur, and was an example that it can occur anywhere,” the release from the department reads. “We are grateful that we can officially close this lengthy investigation and put everyone’s minds at ease that all four suspects are in custody, and will not pose a threat to anyone for a long time to come.”

Romane Andre Clayton, 21, of Jamaica, was indicted on one count of being an accessory after the fact to armed bank robbery.

According to the charging documents, Porter, Jones, and Johnson were allegedly wearing dark-colored clothing and white masks resembling elderly men with exaggerated facial features.

Rollins’ office says that according to witnesses, each of the individuals was allegedly carrying what appeared to be semiautomatic handguns. Video surveillance also showed that one of the individuals was carrying what appeared to be a walkie-talkie.

The district attorney’s statement reads that once inside the bank, one of the individuals allegedly held a gun to the head of one of the bank employees, and forced him to open the bank’s vault. It is further alleged that the individuals entered the vault and took approximately $39,100, before binding the employees with duct tape and plastic zip ties, then demanded access to one of their vehicles, and left the premises in an employee’s car. 

Porter, Jones, and Johnson are accused of driving the stolen vehicle to Manuel Correllus State Forest, where they then fled in a waiting vehicle. 

According to the documents, Porter and Clayton allegedly left the Island via ferry together later that morning. 

After being taken into custody by the Federal Bureau of Investigations this week, 

Porter and Jones were both charged in a superseding indictment, with one count each of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, and one count of armed bank robbery and aiding and abetting.

Following an initial appearance in federal court in Connecticut on Wednesday, Porter was detained, pending a hearing Friday morning.

Jones and Clayton were arrested and charged in connection to the robbery in December, and later indicted by federal grand jury, along with Johnson on March 16. 

“These defendants terrorized and spread panic across the communities of Martha’s Vineyard, and we have now charged a fourth person involved,” Rollins said in the statement. “We believe these men worked together in an armed bank robbery that involved at least two deadly semiautomatic firearms — one of which was held to an employee’s head — and went to great lengths in an attempt to conceal their involvement. Massachusetts residents deserve to live and work without fear. We will hold violent individuals accountable, particularly when they use firearms during their crimes.”

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. The charge of conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

On Friday, Tisbury Police Department issued their own press release, indicating that Porter was “the last and final” suspect believed to be involved with the crime. 

“The Tisbury Police Department wouldn’t have been successful in this investigation without the generous help and support of all of the Island’s law enforcement agencies: Aquinnah Police, Chilmark Police, Edgartown Police, Oak Bluffs Police, West Tisbury Police, and the Dukes County Sheriff’s Office,” the statement says. 

“We are also very grateful to all of the assistance and investigative assets provided to us from the Massachusetts State Police through the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office, the FBI who responded within an hour to the robbery scene, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Prosecutors, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, ATF, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency.”

“We also want to thank all of the residents of Martha’s Vineyard who provided us with tips and information that kept the investigation moving in the right direction.”

Updated to include a statement by Tisbury Police Department .