A Connecticut man, identified as Romane Andre Clayton, has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting an armed bank robbery in Martha's Vineyard. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Clayton, a 22-year-old resident of New Haven, entered his plea in a Boston federal court, with sentencing scheduled for December 18, 2024. He was previously indicted by a grand jury in March 2023, which led to an additional charge in a superseding indictment in April 2023.
Clayton's guilty plea stems from his involvement in a meticulously planned heist at the Rockland Trust Bank in Tisbury on November 17, 2022. He, along with accomplices Omar Johnson, Tevin Porter, and Miquel Jones, carried out the robbery, stealing approximately $39,100. The four men had gathered on Martha's Vineyard the day before to finalize their plan, with Jones providing dark-colored clothing and plastic masks for disguises. Clayton took position outside the bank as a lookout, communicating with the trio inside using a walkie-talkie. The bank employees were forced to open the vault at gunpoint and were then bound and restrained. The assailants eventually escaped in a car that Clayton had left for them in a nearby state forest.
The subsequent actions of the group included ditching the employee's car, disposing of robbery paraphernalia—including burying firearms and burning masks—on a local farm linked to Jones's landscaping employment and hiding the stolen cash in Jones's residence. Porter and Clayton quickly vacated Martha's Vineyard via ferry, while Johnson and Jones took separate routes to conceal their involvement and dispose of the evidence, then Johnson ensured that Porter and Clayton were transported to New Hampshire.
Omar Johnson, Tevin Porter, and Miquel Jones have all entered guilty pleas, like Clayton, and are now awaiting their respective sentencing dates. The charge carries a potential 20-year sentence, plus supervised release and fines of up to $250,000. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division, announced Clayton’s plea. The successful resolution of the case involved contributions from multiple agencies, including the Massachusetts State Police, local police departments from Tisbury and nearby towns, as well as federal agencies like the United States Postal Inspection Service and Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan C. Cleary of the Criminal Division is leading the prosecution efforts for the case.
