Suspects in Braintree Bank Robbery, High-Speed Chase Ordered Held on Bail

BRAINTREE, MA - Two Brockton men were ordered held on bail for allegedly robbing a bank in Braintree and leading police on a high-speed chase to their home city.

Corey Robinson, 35 and Chevall Johnson, 46, were arraigned in Quincy District Court Tuesday. Robinson was charged with armed robbery with a firearm, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and larceny over $250. Johnson was charged with armed robbery, armed robbery with a firearm, larceny over $250, negligent operation of a vehicle, speeding, and failure to stop for police.

Robinson was ordered held on $150,000 bail and bail for a case in Boston Municipal Court was revoked. Johnson was ordered held on $50,000 bail.

According to various police reports read at their arraignment, police in Braintree were alerted to a reported robbery at the Bank of America on Tremont Street at about 1:14 p.m. on May 23. Through tips from witnesses and an MBTA transit police officer, police learned that the suspect, identified as Robinson, fled in a black sedan.

Witnesses at the bank told police a man in a gold Champion shirt demanded money from the tellers and displayed a gun. After the tellers handed over $1 bills, he demanded $100 bills. Police say he left the bank with $2,419

Police located the vehicle near the Route 3 rotary, but as officers approached the car with guns drawn, Robinson put his passenger seat down to try to hide and Johnson drove towards the rotary and up Route 3 North before making their way down Interstate 93 South and Route 24 South. An attempt by state police to use stop sticks on Route 24 failed and the car got off at Exit 19 in Stoughton. The car turned onto Turnpike Street at a high rate of speed, with police stopping the pursuit due to traffic in the area, according to the Massachusetts State Police.

The vehicle was located near Oak Street and Oak Ridge Drive in Brockton and came to a halt near 14 Cherry St. Robinson allegedly exited the vehicle while it was moving and was found a block away hiding in a dumpster. Johnson attempted to flee after crashing into a pole but was quickly taken into custody. Police say that Johnson resisted arrest and assaulted a police officer before he was arrested. He will face additional charges for resisting arrest and assault and battery on a police officer in Plymouth County.

Inside the vehicle, police found $2,413 and a gold Champion shirt that appeared to be similar to the one worn by the robber inside the bank.

Johnson denied being aware of the robbery, telling police that he drives for Uber and picked up Robinson as part of a prearranged pickup. He initially said the two stopped for a beer but changed his story to say that they were drinking while driving. The vehicle went to a nearby McDonalds when Robinson left the car. Johnson said he stayed with the vehicle and left when Robinson returned. When he saw officers with guns, he fled and admitted that he knew it was stupid.

Defense attorneys for the men argued that there was no gun recovered at the scene and no one was able to identify Robinson as the robber, only that he had the same features. They also argued that there is no evidence that Johnson knew a robbery was about to occur.

Robinson is due back in court for a probable cause hearing on June 9 while Johnson is scheduled to return on June 22.