Oak Bluffs police announced on Monday that they have arrested a pair who robbed a well-known elderly Oak Bluffs man of his life savings last month, although they have not recovered all the money. Police said $85,000 was stolen from the man, whose name is being withheld, but only about $37,000 has been recovered.
The robbery occurred on March 19, when the man reported to police that his safe had been stolen while he was off-Island visiting family for two days. It contained his life savings of about $85,000.
A complicated series of events that followed ultimately resulted in the arrest of Daniel A. Ben David, 48, and Stanley Johnson, 50, both of Oak Bluffs. Both men have been charged with burglary, breaking and entering in the nighttime with intent to commit a felony, larceny over $250, breaking into a depository, malicious destruction of property over $250 and conspiracy. Both men have been arraigned in Edgartown district court; Mr. Ben David was released on $1,000 bail and Mr. Johnson is being held on $20,000 bail.
Both men admitted to the crime, police said. The intricacies of the case include a failed polygraph test by Mr. Ben David that preceded his confession and a police chase after Mr. Johnson failed to return from an overnight good-faith trip to New York to allegedly collect some of the stolen money. And there a drug bust along the way; Mr. Johnson has also been charged with cocaine possession.
Oak Bluffs, Mashpee, Edgartown and state police all were involved. An investigation is ongoing.
This story has been changed since it was first published to correct inaccuracies.
This article appears in April 8, 2011.
Wow..i’m kind of confused about the ” Mr. Johnson failed to return from a two-week police-sanctioned good-faith trip to New York to allegedly collect some of the stolen money.” GOOD FAITH?? With his record and just stole the mans life savings..good faith??He wouldn’t know good faith if it bit him in his arce!
Why didn’t the elderly gentleman keep his life savings in the bank instead of in a home safe?
Don’t blame the victim. Many people, especially the elderly, do not trust banks. Even though there is FDIC for amounts up to 100K, many elderly remember the Great Depression when they could not get their own money from the bank.
Allowing the “good faith” journey was, uh, idiotic.
GET A LIFE People your comments shows you have no life!
People make mistakes everyday in life,the only person that can judge you is God!If he can forgive us for our sins,I would think that we can forgive others!!!!!
I am totally outraged than law enforcement would allow a thief to be able to “recover” the stolen goods.. How does that concept become useful??