Hawai‘i Police Department
Criminal Investigation Division – Area I
Captain Rio Amon-Wilkins
Phone: (808) 961-2251
Report No.: 22-108225
Media Release
Hawai‘i Island police have arrested and charged 52-year-old John Jason McCrary, of Pahoa, with various offenses following a Hilo bank robbery.
The charges against McCrary stem from an incident reported on Tuesday morning, December 6, 2022, when Hilo patrol officers responded to a reported bank robbery in the 500 block of Kilauea Avenue in Hilo. Bank employees reported that a male suspect entered the bank and produced a threatening note demanding money. He then fled the area on foot with an undisclosed amount of US currency. No one within the bank was injured.
Hilo Patrol officers canvassed the surrounding downtown Hilo area looking for the suspect; however, he was not immediately located.
On Thursday morning, December 8, a Hilo patrol officer patrolling his beat saw a male party he believed to be McCrary exiting a big-box retail store on Maka‘ala Street, in Hilo, and walk toward a vehicle in the parking lot. Officers contacted the man, who was seated within the vehicle, and positively identified him as McCrary. He was arrested and the vehicle was recovered as evidence and secured pending execution of a search warrant. McCrary also had two larger-type wallets on his person, which also required a search warrant.
McCrary was taken to the Hilo cellblock while Area I Criminal Investigation Section personnel continued this investigation.
Search warrants were later executed on the vehicle and on McCrary’s property, with detectives recovering a large amount of US currency, 14.4 grams methamphetamine, 28 grams processed marijuana, and ammunition.
On Friday morning, after conferring with Hawai‘i County Prosecutors, Area I Criminal Investigation Section detectives charged McCrary with:
- first-degree robbery
- first-degree theft (during an emergency period)
- second-degree terroristic threatening
- place to keep ammunition
- second-degree promotion of a dangerous drug
- third-degree promotion of a detrimental drug
McCrary’s bail was set at $103,000.
McCrary remains in police custody pending his initial court appearance scheduled for Monday afternoon, December 12, 2022, in Hilo District Court.
Police ask anyone who may have information regarding this incident or who may have had contact with McCrary following the robbery to contact Detective Paul Mangus of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2383 or email Paul.Mangus@hawaiicounty.gov.
