Falmouth Rockland Trust Bank Robber Petar Petyoshin To Plead Guilty To Federal Charges

FALMOUTH, MA — A Martha's Vineyard business owner facing federal charges regarding a Falmouth bank robbery in April is set to plead guilty.

First reported by the Vineyard Gazette, Petar Petyoshin, who is charged with stealing more than $20,000 from a Rockland Trust Bank in Falmouth, will accept a deal to plead guilty to one count of armed robbery.

With the deal, the Department of Justice will recommend Petyoshin serve between five and nine years instead of what could have been up to 25 years.

Petyoshin was arrested and charged on May 2023 for armed and masked bank robbery, as well as other state charges. He was denied bail in June and remains in custody. A federal bank robbery charge was added early this summer.

It's alleged that the jacket, sunglasses and wig worn by the bank robber on April 8 were for sale at Petyoshin's Martha's Vineyard store, Dapper Martha's Vineyard.

Officials have also connected a vehicle registered to him to trips consistent with the robbery on and off the Vineyard.

According to the charging documents, at approximately 8:58 a.m. on April 8, Petyoshin entered the Rockland Trust Bank in Falmouth wearing a blonde wig, placed an alleged bomb on the teller counter and brandished a gun.

Documents state that Petyoshin pointed the firearm at the tellers and customers, telling one bank employee, “I’m robbing you,” before having the customers and bank employees zip-tie each other’s hands together.

Petyoshin then allegedly had two additional tellers place over $20,000 in cash from the bank into a brown Walmart bag, took a customer’s car keys and fled the scene in the customer’s vehicle.

Bank Robber Spotted In The Area Before Robbery, Headed To The Vineyard After

Officials alleged that surveillance footage from the surrounding area captured a man matching Petyoshin’s description entering a nearby grocery store parking lot in a grey van about 30 minutes prior to the robbery. The man remained in the vehicle for about 18 minutes, then exited the van and walked on foot in the direction of the bank.

The individual can be seen returning to the vehicle from the direction of the bank approximately 15 minutes after the robbery, officials said. Additional surveillance footage captured the van traveling on the highway in the direction of Mashpee, Mass. following the robbery.

The investigation later identified that, on the morning of the robbery, a vehicle matching the van’s description departed Martha’s Vineyard aboard a Steamship Authority vessel at 7 a.m. and arrived at Woods Hole in Falmouth, Mass.

The van also had a scheduled return trip to Martha’s Vineyard later the same day, at 1:15 p.m, officials said. Surveillance footage obtained from the Steamship Authority depicts a sole operator in the van who was wearing the same sneakers worn by the bank robber.

According to the charging documents, Petyoshin was subsequently identified as the registered owner of the van and cell site information located him as being in the area of bank in Falmouth at the time of the robbery.

It is further alleged that the Facebook page for Petyoshin’s clothing store, Dapper Martha’s Vineyard, displayed photos of clothing including the same jacket, sunglasses and wig worn by the bank robber.

Details From The May Arrest

During his May arrest, officials recovered thousands of dollars in cash bundled together in Rockland Trust money bands, zip ties and clothing items the suspect was captured wearing on surveillance footage both before and after the robbery.

Additionally, 57 firearms and a large quantity of ammunition were seized during the search.

It is further alleged that the same jacket worn by the robber inside the Rockland Trust bank was recovered during a search of Petyoshin’s personal locker at the Oak Bluffs Water Department where he is employed.

The charge of armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.