A confidential informant was key in Tuesday’s arrest of three Aiea teens who are suspects in four armed bank and recycling center robberies with a total haul of $40,785.
The FBI arrested the three at about noon Tuesday for robberies on April 22 at the Salt Lake Reynolds Recycling center; May 1, Central Pacific Bank in Wahiawa; May 13, Salt Lake American Savings Bank; and May 30, Pearlridge branch of American Savings Bank.
Marcus Kalani Watson (also known as Kiki Seui), the 19-year-old alleged mastermind behind the four robberies, was taken into custody at Honolulu Airport disembarking from a flight from Oakland, Calif., FBI Special Agent in Charge Vida Bottom said at a news conference Tuesday.
Unbeknownst to Watson, FBI agents were aboard the flight to ensure his arrest. FBI agents arrested AJ Williander, 18, who was at the airport to pick up Watson, and Rogussia Danielson, 19, at his home.
All three were charged Monday by complaint in federal court, Watson with one count of robbery and three counts of bank robbery, Danielson with two counts of bank robbery and Williander with one count of bank robbery. They face a maximum 20 years in prison, Bottom said.
The complaint alleges Watson, in each of the robberies, wore a ski mask and used a handgun. In the Reynolds Recycling robbery, he allegedly pointed a black semiautomatic pistol at two employees, demanded money and threatened to shoot them if they didn’t comply. In each of the bank robberies, the main suspect also used gloves and demanded the tellers place money in a bag.
On June 21 a confidential informant disclosed the identities of the three suspects in the four robberies, saying Watson was involved in each; Danielson participated in two and used a shotgun; and Williander was the getaway driver in the Pearlridge robbery.
Authorities said Watson had shared details with the informant, including that in the Reynolds Recycling case one worker threw the money on the ground during the robbery, enraging Watson, who said he cocked the gun, aimed it at the worker and made him pick it up. The informant also said Watson caught the bus to the Wahiawa bank, dumped the clothes he wore during the robbery into a trash can and fled on a bus.
Watson and Danielson both posted photos of themselves holding a large amount of cash on their Facebook pages.
The informant said on May 30 after the fourth robbery, Watson was afraid law enforcement might contact him so his mother bought him a one-way ticket to Oakland. The informant also said Watson bought an old white Lexus for $2,000, used as a getaway car in the May 13 robbery, and spent $3,000 on a root canal.
DNA evidence from discarded gloves and masks were found and used to identify the suspects.
