An Edgartown man is facing over eight years behind bars after a high-stakes heist where he robbed a Falmouth bank with a firearm and a bogus bomb. Petar Petyoshin, 40, who had the gall to commit the brazen daylight robbery, was slapped with a 100-month prison sentence and five years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley, according to the Department of Justice's official announcement.
The armed robbery unfolded on April 8, 2023, when Petyoshin took a 7 a.m. ferry from Martha's Vineyard and stormed the Rockland Trust Bank at approximately 8:58 a.m., carrying what appeared to be a bomb and wielding a gun. He directed terrified customers and bank staff to bind themselves with zip ties, before filling a brown bag with over $20,000 cash, he then made off with a customer's vehicle, which, he used to hightail it back to Martha's Vineyard on a 1:15 p.m. ferry. The brazenness of the act was matched by the swiftness of his escape; a narrative of crime, so audacious, that it seems torn from a Hollywood script.
Following his arrest on May 23, 2023, on state charges linked to the robbery, authorities uncovered further damning evidence at Petyoshin's home. They seized a stash consisting of 57 firearms and a hoard of ammunition in addition to the very items he donned during the commission of the crime; the clothing items were matched to the surveillance footage—both before and after the heist. The evidence trail led to more connections, unraveling his facade, as his Facebook page for Dapper Martha's Vineyard, a clothing store Petyoshin operated, displayed pictures of garments identical to those worn during the theft.
In what can only be described as a brash move, Petyoshin, didn't even flinch to make a several thousand-dollar cash downpayment on a lease for a new Mercedes immediately after holding up the bank. The statement on the sentencing by Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy also shines a light on the collaborative efforts that cracked the case, involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Massachusetts State Police and multiple local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit handled the prosecution. This tale of audacity unfolds amidst the picturesque setting of Martha's Vineyard, yet the crime contrasts searingly with the tranquility that the island is typically known for.
