3 men charged with stealing $436,000 in cash from marijuana shops in Swansea holdup

BOSTON — Three Massachusetts men were arrested on Wednesday and charged with the February armed robbery at the Bay Coast Bank in Swansea that netted thousands of dollars in marijuana dispensary proceeds, including $373,000 from the Cosmopolitan marijuana shop, co-owned by former Fall River mayor Will Flanagan.

Steven Madison, 38, of Bridgewater, Christopher White, 37, of Raynham and Quentin McDonald, 35, of Brockton, were taken into custody on charges of affecting commerce by robbery, conspiracy and malicious destruction of property. Madison and White each also face a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to federal court documents, the complaints were filed after an extensive investigation by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

According to federal court record, the three men appeared in U.S. District Court in Boston on Wednesday, where they were ordered held pending a detention and preliminary hearing set for May 13.

According to a complaint prepared by ATF agent Eric Mercer, the trio made off with $436,200 after robbing a courier who was depositing the money for Cosmopolitan and other dispensaries from the Cape Cod area.

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The daytime heist occurred on the Presidents Day holiday on Feb. 19 when the bank was closed. The courier was ambushed at the bank by gunpoint and tied up by the suspects while he was trying to drop off the cash deposits.

The courier, who was armed, had his hands bound with zip-ties and was shot with pepper spray during the robbery. He managed to get loose and fire shots at the assailants as they drove away in a U-Haul truck that was set on fire on Reed Street in Swansea.

They then fled in an awaiting vehicle.

Flanagan, who is also a defense attorney, commended the federal agencies who investigated the robbery, which he called “brazen and violent,” and “by the grace of God, no one was hurt.”

“It’s my hope that these people are prosecuted for their crimes, and they are held accountable,” said Flanagan. “Also, from a dispensary owner’s point of view, I hope they are made an example out of, because people should not have the idea that you can prey upon this type of industry that is highly regulated and highly guarded.”

Another man arrested originally

Law enforcement had originally arrested 29-year-old Giovany Fouyolle later in the day on Feb. 19 on Interstate 195.

At the time of his arraignment in Fall River District Court, his attorney claimed that he was not involved and had video surveillance proof that he’d been at a casino at the time of the crime.

District Court records show that charges against Fouyolle were dropped shortly after his court appearance.

Defendants have criminal records

Investigators indicate they believe Madison and White committed the armed robbery, and allege McDonald drove the getaway Jeep from the scene of the engulfed U-Haul, which had been stolen in Abington.

According to the federal complaint, which included video surveillance at the bank on Swansea Mall Drive, the men had apparently done a practice run at Bay Coast Bank approximately two hours before the robbery, which occurred a little past 12:30 p.m.

In a media release, federal prosecutors allege that after serving warrants at the men’s homes, Madison was found to possess an estimated $5,000 or more in cash located in various amounts throughout the house, as well as a $47,000 Rolex watch, a sweatshirt like one worn by one of the robbers, a firearm, and ammunition.

During a search of White’s residence in Raynham, investigators allegedly found zip-ties, a black mask like that worn by one of the robbers, a firearm and ammunition.

According to the charging documents, both Madison and McDonald have prior state convictions for masked armed robbery, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, and unlawfully possessing a firearm, a case where they were co-defendants. Madison also has a conviction for armed home invasion.

White has prior state convictions for larceny and receiving stolen property.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Three charged with heist of $436,000 in marijuana shop profits