The Edgartown man who pleaded guilty to robbing a Rockland Trust bank in Falmouth has been sentenced to more than 8 years in prison.
U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley sentenced 40-year-old Petar Petyoshin to 100 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
The sentencing was announced by the U.S. Attorney representing Massachusetts on Monday.
Petyoshin, a father of three, pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery in October last year.
He was arrested on state charges in May on the Vineyard after a weeks-long, multi-agency investigation. Prosecutors say that the robber who wore a wig, sunglasses, and a surgical mask, zip-tied bank employees and customers, took $20,000 from the bank at gunpoint, placed fake C-4 on its counter, and left the scene in a bank customer’s vehicle.
In May, Petyoshin was arraigned on charges of armed and masked robbery with a firearm, bomb/hijack threat, larceny over $1,200, carjacking, and seven counts of kidnapping.
A search of Petyoshin’s Chase Road home after his arrest recovered thousands of dollars in cash in Rockland Trust money bands. The raid also uncovered zip-ties, clothing worn by the robber, 57 firearms, and a large amount of ammunition. The jacket worn by the robber was found in a search of Petyoshin’s personal locker at the Oak Bluffs Water Department, where he was employed.
Presecutors say that immediately following the robbery, Petyoshin made a several-thousand-dollar cash down payment on a lease for a new Mercedes.
A press release issued by the office of Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said that Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and John. E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement on Monday, Feb. 5. The agency said that “valuable assistance” was provided by the Falmouth and Edgartown Police Departments; Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department; and the Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
