Man held on $300,000 bail after armed robbery of Martha’s Vineyard bank

A man was in court Monday on charges related to an armed robbery of a Martha’s Vineyard bank during which employees were bound by duct tape and plastic restraints on Thursday, Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O’Keefe said.

Miquel Anthonio Jones, 30, of Edgartown is charged with accessory after the fact to wit armed robbery.

Judge Benjamin Barnes ordered Jones held on $300,000 cash bail with conditions of release to include GPS monitoring, and an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew.

At about 8:15 a.m. Thursday, police responded to a report of an armed robbery at Rockland Trust Bank at 257 Edgartown Road in the town of Tisbury.

Witnesses told police that three masked people, armed with semi-automatic handguns and wearing all black clothing, forced their way into the bank and removed a sum of U.S. currency.

The assailants drove away in a motor vehicle that belonged to one of the bank employees and taken without her permission, police said.

Investigators reviewed surveillance video and determined that employee’s motor vehicle was abandoned in a parking lot at approximately 8:29 a.m., just minutes after the suspects departed the bank.

Duct tape and pieces of green shrub like vegetation were located inside the abandoned Murano vehicle which belonged to a bank employee.

Surveillance video that immediately after the employee’s vehicle was abandoned, a dark blue Hyundai Elantra with a missing driver’s side rear tire hubcap left the parking lot.

A preliminary investigation found that the 2007 Hyundai Elantra was likely involved in the robbery.

On Friday, police conducted a motor vehicle stop of the 2007 Hyundai Elantra. Jones, who was driving the vehicle, admitted to police that he had been in possession of the 2007 Hyundai Elantra for the past five weeks, police said. He admitted to being in the parking lot where the employee victim’s vehicle was abandoned at approximately 8:20 a.m. on the day of the robbery.

Police said Jones was evasive while officers questioned him. Investigators observed a green, vegetation-like substance, which appeared similar to the material located in the abandoned employee’s vehicle, on his shoes, police said.

Officers searched the 2007 Hyundai Elantra after obtaining a warrant and they found three $100 dollar bills, two of which displayed sequential serial numbers; $100 bills were among the denominations stolen during the robbery. Police also recovered a pair of white “Nike” brand sneakers and dark clothing, which are consistent with what was seen on surveillance video and with witness statements, police said.

The armed robbery remains under active investigation by State Police detectives assigned to the District Attorneys office, Tisbury Police, and the FBI.

A probable cause hearing for Jones is scheduled for Dec. 16.

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