Arheel's Uncle
Senior Reporter
Martha's Vineyard Gazette
Bank Robbery Suspect to Plead Guilty
Omar Johnson signed a plea agreement with prosecutors in late March, saying he would plead guilty to charges in connection with the armed robbery of
One of four men who were arrested in connection with the armed robbery of a Rockland Trust bank branch in November has agreed to plead guilty to two felony counts, according to court documents. No date has been set for his sentencing.
Omar Johnson, 32, of New Hampshire, signed a plea agreement with prosecutors in late March, saying he would plead guilty to conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery and armed bank robbery and aiding and abetting, according to documents filed in Boston federal court on Thursday. In exchange, prosecutors have recommended a reduced sentence.
Mr. Johnson was allegedly one of the men that forced their way into the Vineyard Haven bank on Nov. 17, 2022, and made off with $39,000.
Mr. Johnson was arrested in Connecticut along with fellow suspect Romane Clayton later in November. In March, he was indicted by a federal grand jury. Mr. Clayton, Miquel Jones and Tevin Porter, the three other men who have been indicted in connection with the robbery, had a court hearing on Monday.
The plea deal, offered by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and signed by Mr. Johnson and his attorney on March 23, says he understands the crimes he is pleading guilty to, and the maximum penalties for the crimes.
Conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery can carry a sentence of up to five years; armed robbery and aiding and abetting, a single charge, can include incarceration of up to 25 years.
The agreement stipulates that Mr. Johnson will waive his indictment and plead guilty to the charges as soon as possible. For this, federal prosecutors recommend that he be sentenced to imprisonment at the low end of the federal sentencing guideline of 7 – to 10-years, a fine and restitution of the amount stolen and 36 months of supervised release.
Mr. Johnson had an in-person hearing on Thursday. Attorneys were asked to reach out to the federal probation officials to schedule a pre-sentencing interview.
Mr. Johnson’s lawyer did not immediately return a request for comment Friday. The U.S. Department of Justice lead attorney and a spokesperson for the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney General’s Office also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
At Monday's hearing, federal district court judge William Young scheduled a trial for Mr. Clayton, Mr. Jones and Mr. Porter. It is set for Dec. 4 and the final pretrial conference will be Nov. 6.